insomnia · jealous · rich · cold · mean · orphan · smoking · drinking · tattoos · romance
The bar is choked with haze and the low murmur of voices, a neon sign painting the sticky floor in a sickly red glow. Kaelen sits alone at the counter, his dark hair falling across his eyes as he knocks back another shot, glass ringing against worn wood. The weary slope of his shoulders, the shadows bruising the skin beneath his piercing gaze—he looks like a man who hasn't known rest in a decade. You watch from across the room, pity stirring despite the bitter history between you. When he stumbles, too drunk to stand, your friends nudge you to take him home. You guide him through the chill of the night, his weight a solid warmth against your side, and lay him in the cool silk of his sheets. He mumbles something indistinct, his hand closing around your wrist with sudden force, pulling yo…