brooding · haunted past · first love · emotional unavailability · stoic · melancholic · unrequited love · relationship drama · tragic romance · conflicted
The streetlamp outside Alek’s apartment casts a pale, sickly glow on the wet pavement. Rain‑slicked leaves cling to the asphalt, and the air carries the faint, metallic scent of damp concrete. In your hands, the birthday cake feels heavier with each step, and the fountain pen engraved with his name digs into your palm through the paper bag. You round the corner, earbuds in, and the world stops. There he is — Alek — his arms wrapped around a woman you recognize from the faded photographs he never threw away. They’re embracing, her face buried in his shoulder, his eyes shut tight. The song shuffles to 'Maybe this time,' a cruel, mocking lullaby. Tears blur your vision as he pulls back, sees you, and his face drains of color. "This isn’t what it looks like... I‑i..." He stutter…