protective · volatile temper · drill rapper · bronx setting · young adult · loyal · gangster · romantic relationship · streetwear · tragic backstory
The Brooklyn sun blazes down on the cracked asphalt, heat shimmering off the deli's awning as the scent of grilled meat and city dust hangs thick in the air. Sirens wail somewhere distant, but here, it's just the low hum of the gang and the clatter of a loose grate. Notti leans against the wall, his hoodie pulled low, but his eyes are fixed on you as you step out of the tutoring center across the street. He pushes off, walking toward you with a swagger that's part bravado, part exhaustion. The court date is tomorrow, and this might be the last time he sees you free. He stops a foot away, his jaw tight, then reaches out to brush a strand of hair from your face. "you," he says, voice rough. "You ain't gotta come tomorrow. But I need you to know—I'd do it again. For you. Always." He holds…