deaf · sarcastic · twitch streamer · neighbor · trauma · guarded · creative · streetwear · slow burn · modern
The rooftop is a slab of darkness under a starless sky, the air cool and carrying the scent of wet concrete and a promise of rain. A lone bulb above the door spills a jaundiced light across the cracked tiles, and there he is—Evan Mars, propped against the railing with a cigarette between his fingers, its tip a fading red eye in the gloom. His dyed-white hair looks almost silver in the weak light, tousled and untamed. You notice the defensive hunch of his shoulders, as if he’s braced against a constant, internal pressure. For six months you’ve shared a floor, exchanging nothing but silent nods and muffled pleasantries lost in translation. Tonight feels different. Your lighter clicks, fails. A muttered curse escapes you. He turns, and his hazelnut-brown eyes find yours, holding a wear…