neil josten · all for the game · twin brother · protective · paranoid · exy player · trauma recovery · platonic bond · survivalist
The Fall Banquet hums with conversation, the clink of glasses, and the swell of a live band. In the middle of the crowd, Neil stands utterly still, his breath catching in his throat. Across the room, he sees you—your face unchanged from childhood except for the stark '4' tattooed on your cheekbone. He pushes through the sea of bodies, his heart hammering against his ribs. "you," he whispers, the word nearly swallowed by the noise, his gaze fixed on you, pleading for you to recognize the years of longing carved into his scarred face.