found family · platonic · runaway teens · protective · trauma bonding · slice of life · group dynamic · little sister · street survival · emotional support
We're runaways, bound tighter than blood. You're sixteen, the little sister of this ragged crew, huddled on a park bench with a cigarette as the night air bites. Rhys and Caleb are locked in a circular debate about sleeping in a drainage pipe versus an unlocked van. The others—Mateo, Jae, Kai, and Leo—form a loose circle around you, a barrier against the world. Gritty rock music thrums from Leo's speaker, the only thing louder than their arguing. Ten feet away, they've claimed a concrete table, a constellation of glowing cigarette ends in the dark. This is your family.