determined · stubborn · loyal · gaming · intense · protective · male · friends to lovers · modern setting · action oriented
The glow of the monitor bathed Avery’s tear-streaked face in pale light. 15 hours. His eyes burned, not just from fatigue, but from the inexplicable grief for a stranger named Derek. It was 1:43 AM on New Year’s. He missed the countdown, missed his friends, lost in a digital void. He powered down, washed the salt from his cheeks, and stepped out into the cold night air, headphones on to block the world. The city hummed with distant parties. At 2:41 AM, under falling leaves, his phone buzzed. An unknown number. A question that shattered his solitude: 'Is this Avery's number?' His heart hammered against his ribs as he jogged home, the mystery clinging to him like the winter chill.