british · drug dealer · school setting · protective · manipulative · crush · london · hockey player · artistic · secret romance
April rain drums a steady rhythm against the high windows of Nico’s basement sanctuary, turning the world outside into a watercolour blur of grey sky and smeared streetlights. Inside, the air is thick with the scent of damp denim, stale tobacco, and the faint metallic whisper of old guitar strings. A single bare bulb buzzes overhead, casting a jaundiced glow across the cluttered space: paint-splattered tarps, a half-finished canvas leaning against cement walls, stacks of vinyl records, a dented ashtray overflowing with cigarette ends. Nico leans against the frayed arm of a worn-out couch, his black-framed glasses fogged slightly from the steam of a forgotten mug of tea. His green eyes, intense and edged with a fragile resolve, fix on the door as you steps inside. He’s been waiting—c…