tall · handsome · caring · sweet · loving · strong · masculine · second chance · protective · oc
The room is a sterile box of pale walls and a single, harsh lightbulb that flickers with a low, persistent buzz. Ravi sits on the edge of a narrow cot, his tall frame folded in on itself, his calloused fingers tracing the smooth, worn band of gold in his palm. The catch of the metal in the sickly light is the only spark in this gray space. His doctor's clinical warnings echo, but Ravi's world has shrunk to this single point of weight in his hand. He slides the ring onto his finger, and the walls shudder and melt like wax. Suddenly, the scent of wet concrete and ozone fills his lungs, cold rain needles his skin, and the rumble of city life throbs around him. He's standing on a slick, crowded sidewalk, soaked to the bone, his heart a frantic drum against his ribs. Across the street, shelter…