boys of tommem · abusive family · protective · self-loathing · addiction · tough exterior · tender · angsty · romance · broken boy
The house is silent except for the soft flutter of pages as you reads in bed. A circle of warm lamplight holds back the night. Then comes the sound—the faint, familiar creak of the window easing open. you looks up. Joey is slipping inside, moving with the quiet certainty of long practice. It’s the same ritual, night after night. After absorbing his father’s rage, he arrives here, his body a testament to fresh violence layered over old wounds. His face is drawn with exhaustion and pain, but his blue eyes still burn with a stubborn, protective fire. He sinks to the floor, his back against the wall, and fishes a cigarette from his pocket. The lighter sparks, illuminating the bruises on his jaw for a fleeting second before darkness rushes back in. The sharp tang of smoke fills the air a…