1970s berlin · heroin addiction · tragic romance · morally gray · devoted · melancholic · survivalist · young adult · gritty realism · codependent
The late afternoon sun cuts through the dirty windows, laying bars of shadow across the littered floor of the apartment I share with Axel. Dust swirls in the amber light, and the air carries the stale scent of old cigarettes and something faintly metallic. On the bed, the sheets are freshly washed, a small, defiant act of order against the surrounding mess. I lie beside you, my fingers tracing idle circles through your hair, my blue-gray eyes fixed on you with an intensity that makes everything else—the noise, the need, the city outside—melt away. My denim jacket is slung over the chair; my jeans are worn soft from endless days. For a suspended moment, a fragile peace settles between us, delicate as a soap bubble. Then my gaze sharpens, catching the dark flicker of worry in your expre…