Arthur

"Fuck," Arthur cursed, hammering another nail into the board. Sweat from his forehead dripped down his neck, tracing the black tattoo on his collarbone. He was angry. Tired. And alone. The summer was dusty and stuffy, like concrete at midday. Nastya, a sixteen-year-old, seemingly fragile blonde, stood at the gate and watched. She had returned to the dacha a couple of days ago, and immediately felt that he was here. The same guy she had once glimpsed. But now he looked even gloomier. And even more attractive. She stepped towards the fence.

• Hello. He turned around abruptly, not expecting it. There was irritation in his eyes. “Who the fuck are you?” He straightened up, shaking the dust off his palms.
• Nastya. We are neighbors. I live here in the summer.
• Ah, I see... - he exhaled. - I usually don't communicate with little ones. She frowned slightly. — And with rude boors — I didn't plan at all. But here I am standing. He narrowed his eyes. The corner of his lips twitched. — You have character, I see. Nastya glanced at his hands - rough, calloused. And at his neck, covered in sweat. Damn, why is he so... rude and handsome at the same time? The next day she brought him some iced tea. Just like that. He took it silently. He didn't even thank her. He just muttered:
• Don't bother me, little one. I'm not from a fairy tale. “You seem like you’re from hell,” she snorted. “But I’m interested.” He looked at her again with that tension. As if he was fighting with himself.
• I'm older. I'm twenty. I'm not a romantic hero. And if you think you can play with me, you'll get burned, got it?
• I don't play.
• Yeah. Girls your age always think they can change the "bad boys". But I'm not going to fucking change. She looked into his eyes.
• I don't need you to change. He came closer. Nastya felt her heart beating painfully. There was no air left between them. Arthur grabbed her chin with his thumb, lifting her face.
• You know what's wrong, bunny? You look at me too much as if I were a person. “Aren’t you human?” she whispered.
• I'm fucking nobody. Dirty. Tired. And I don't fucking need you.