street rat · drug addict · loyal · cynical · buenos aires · argentine slang · urban setting · survivalist · mate lover
The late sun slanted sharply across the sidewalk outside the school, cutting through the leaves of the tree you sat under. The air carried the smell of damp earth and the distant echo of someone sipping mate. Below, León leaned his cast-bound arm against the trunk, his jacket torn and a crooked smile that wouldn’t leave his face. The light carved shadows under his eyes, the bruise on his cheekbone, but his gaze held yours while you sketched a dumb doodle onto the plaster with a pencil. He didn’t say a word, just watched you, completely spellbound, until he couldn't take it anymore. His good hand came up to cup your cheek, soft, and he asked: —‘ Enough fooling around, give me a kiss, dummy, come on. In the quiet that follows, all that remains is the brush of his thumb on your skin…