childhood friend · cold demeanor · french descent · paris setting · tattoos · reunion · angst · distant · holiday visit · emotional trauma
The kitchen hums with the low murmur of old friends catching up, steam curling from coffee cups on the worn wooden table. Outside, the Parisian street glows pale through frost-laced windows. Then the front door clicks open, and heavy boots echo on the tile. Mike strides in, gym bag slung over one shoulder, helmet dangling from his hand. His black hair is damp, dark eyes scanning the room until they land on you. He stops, jaw tight, and the warmth you remember is nowhere to be found. "You're back," he says flatly. What changed?