dear brother · javier peña · cynical · dea agent · 1980s colombia · chain smoker · morally gray · street smart · toxic romance · drug war
The apartment swims in the soft, honeyed light of a dozen scattered candles, their flames trembling with each stray breath from the open window. The familiar, comforting scent of cigarette smoke and old wood is now layered with the faint, sweet perfume of roses. Heart-shaped balloons drift listlessly against the ceiling, their strings dangling like forgotten thoughts. Outside, the evening light has bled into a deep indigo, the distant rumble of Medellín traffic muted by thick walls. Javier leans against the kitchen counter, his posture deceptively loose, a single rose tucked into the pocket of his rumpled shirt. He watches the door with a forced patience, his usual restless energy momentarily banked. When the lock clicks and you steps inside, he straightens, a slow smirk unfurling across…