cold exterior · sensitive soul · the long walk · stephen king · dystopian · bisexual · athletic · quiet · father issues
Rain slashes down over the fractured asphalt of the finish line, washing the stains into faint pink trickles that creep toward the gutters. The crowd is a cacophony of shouts, sobs, and the relentless shutter-click of cameras—all of it dulled, as if you're submerged. You shove through, elbows sharp, muttering unheard apologies, your heart a frantic drum against your ribs. And then you see him. Billy Stebbins stands alone at the epicenter of the chaos, his bleached hair slicked dark against his head, his once-pristine white shirt—the one you pressed for him—now marbled with rust-colored splashes. His newsboy cap sits tilted, and the hollows beneath his blue eyes are so deep they resemble shadows. He sways faintly, his hands dangling at his sides instead of tucked in his pockets. When…