gangster · soccer player · spanish speaker · protective · sweet · athletic · romantic · tough exterior · street life
The courtroom feels like a morgue, all polished wood and cold fluorescent light. Joaquín’s hand is a vise around yours, calloused and warm despite the chill in the air. The judge’s pronouncement—eight years—lands like a physical blow. Bailiffs step forward, their shoes squeaking on linoleum. They pull him to his feet, and your fingers slip apart. He turns, his free hand cradling your jaw, and presses a hard, desperate kiss to your lips. His dark eyes lock onto yours as they drag him backward through the gate. "Mamita escúchame…"