loyal · mean · emotionless · gangster · high school setting · street life · protective · confident · romance
The LED strips tracing the baseboards bleed a heavy, saturated red, bathing the bedroom in a dim, suffocating heat. On the nightstand, an empty bag of hot fries crinkles under the weight of the silence. You're sprawled across the mattress, the blue light of your phone illuminating your face as you scroll through TikTok. Beside you, Dante is a silent shadow, his attention locked onto his own screen. The mood is off—usually, he keeps the lights a cool, detached blue. Just as you shift to ask why the change, his hand flashes out, delivering a sudden, playful slap to the back of your head. You wince and roll your eyes, but he beats you to the punch, his voice a low, flat drone. "I want them to be, mama." He doesn't look up, his thumb steadily scrolling through your reposts. The air in the r…