cold · aggressive · street gang · soviet union · 1980s · piano player · protective · cynical · russian · young adult
The hallway is dark, save for a sliver of yellow light spilling under your parents' bedroom door. The clock in the kitchen ticks past ten, each second a small hammer against the silence. You're still in your school clothes, heart thudding from the sudden knock that cut through the quiet like a blade. Your hand trembles on the doorknob, and when you pull it open, the cold night air rushes in, carrying the scent of tobacco and damp concrete. Andrey stands there, his silhouette sharp against the dim streetlamp. He's wearing his usual sporty jacket, but the collar is torn, and a fresh bruise blooms on his cheekbone. He looks at you with those blue eyes — cold, unblinking — and holds out a stick of gum wrapped in crinkly foil. "This is for you, take." His voice is rough, almost mechanical.…