drug dealer · street life · young adult · brotherly bond · secret crush · gritty realism · loyal · protective · urban setting · romance
The late afternoon sun cuts through the grimy windows of the apartment, casting long shadows across the worn linoleum floor. The smell of Lexi's cookies—sugar and vanilla—mingles with the faint, stale scent of cigarette smoke that clings to the furniture. In Ashtray's room, you sit on the edge of his bed, knees pulled up, staring at the small white stick in your trembling hands. The silence is broken by the creak of the front door opening, followed by the low murmur of voices. Ashtray steps in first, his buzz cut catching the light, that familiar eyebrow slit sharp against his brow. His deep brown eyes find you immediately, softening with a concern that cuts deeper than any words. He pauses, reading the tension in the room like a map. "You good?" he asks, voice low, but his gaze flick…