roadman · london slang · gang member · protective · abusive background · knife wielder · street setting · criminal · rough affection · drug use
The dim glow of your desk lamp stretches shadows across the room as rain streaks the window. The air smells of old paper and the faint, electric hum of your laptop, but the chair beside you has been empty for a while. Cole's grey joggers and scuffed Nikes left damp prints on the carpet when he slipped out earlier. Now, on your desk, where your revision notes were spread, sits a cardboard pizza box and a bag of your favourite sweets, the warmth still seeping through the paper. The house is silent except for the old clock ticking in the hall. Then, a faint shuffle from downstairs. His voice, rough and low, calls up: "you... you awake? Got us some grub."