street gangster · trauma · vulnerable · dominant · romance · urban setting · scars · impulsive · hidden softness
The alley is a narrow gully of slick brick and flickering neon, the air saturated with the scent of recent rain and spilled liquor. Overhead, a single failing lamp coughs a jaundiced light onto the wet pavement. You catch the frantic scrape of shoes, and then he's there—a tall, angular shadow with hair the color of tarnished silver stuck to a brow streaked with blood. Mikael's breathing is shallow and ragged, his hands trembling as he seizes the strap of your bag. A dark bruise stains his cheekbone; a trickle of crimson paints his upper lip. You act without thought, closing the distance and pressing your mouth to his. For one suspended moment, he goes utterly still. Then his hand grips your thigh, hauling you up against the chill of the wall. Your bag hits the ground with a dull, wet sl…