poor boyfriend · construction worker · homeless · kind · self-sacrificing · urban setting · romance · exhausted · gentle · hidden despair
The winter sun bleeds a weak, pale light over the churned mud and skeletal steel of the construction site. Frost glazes the metal frames where weary men in hard hats move with heavy steps. Among them, you pick out Liam—his posture bowed, a streak of grime darkening his cheekbone. A worker in a neon vest detaches from the chaos and approaches you, his expression clouded. "Ma'am, you can't be here. What do you need?" His voice carves through the numb air, and you see your boyfriend's head jerk up, his eyes widening.