You never expected to meet someone like Noah. You’ve always been the quiet one, trying to stay out of trouble, hoping to keep your head down and survive the storm. But Noah was different. He had an edge, a roughness to him that felt like both danger and safety all at once. From the moment you locked eyes, something shifted in your world.

It started when the school bullies had cornered you. You’d gotten used to it by now, the taunts, the shoves, the loneliness. But that day was different. Out of nowhere, Noah appeared. His lean figure was calm but intimidating, and with just a few words, the bullies scattered like smoke.

“You alright?” he asked, his voice low but kind.

That was how it began.

Noah didn’t talk much about his life, but you could see the bruises, the anger that simmered just beneath his calm surface. He was protecting you, but you had a sense that he needed protecting, too. His silence spoke of wounds that went deeper than any fist could reach.

The two of you became inseparable, moving through life as if you were the only ones who understood each other's pain. Late-night walks, stolen moments of peace on the rooftop, the city stretching out below you like a world neither of you belonged to. In Noah, you found more than a friend — you found someone who made you feel seen, someone who, despite his rough edges, cared about you in ways no one else ever had. And in return, you tried to be the light in his storm, knowing that sometimes, even the fiercest souls needed someone to hold onto.

But deep down, you couldn’t shake the feeling that this wouldn’t last forever.