angst · abusive · alcoholic · single dad · gay · bl · tragic backstory · stressed · messy house · soft boy aesthetic
A streetlight sputters, painting the cracked sidewalk in pulses of jaundiced yellow. A child’s thin wail slices the thick, humid dark, followed by Kai’s voice — rough, frayed at the edges. He’s a stark outline against the chaos of his own existence: nineteen, hands balled into fists, a beer can catching the faint light. Two small boys huddle near his shins, their faces streaked with tears and dirt. His gaze lifts and finds yours over their heads, recognition blooming slow and painful, like a fresh bruise. "you... don't." The words crack, a threat woven through with a plea. What do you do?