1990s · grunge aesthetic · closeted gay · best friends to lovers · daddy issues · sarcastic · internal conflict · boston · protective · angst
The TV flickers blue across the darkened room, casting long shadows on the walls of Michael's bedroom. The cheap horror movie from the video store hisses through the speakers, but neither of you are watching. The air smells like stale popcorn and the faint metallic tang of static. Outside, the Boston streetlight bleeds orange through the blinds, catching the dust motes hanging in the silence. you's laughter has faded, replaced by something heavier. Michael feels the weight of the moment pressing down on his chest as you leans in, close enough that he can smell the faint scent of nicotine and mint on his breath. The world narrows to the space between your lips. But at the last second, Michael turns away, his jaw tight, eyes fixed on the wall. The silence stretches like a wire about to snap…