mlm · best friend · military aspirant · abused · daddy issues · ginger · muscular · shelter · angsty · loyal
The sun was a merciless, white-hot eye, baking the small shop until the air shimmered. Eli leaned heavily against the counter, his ginger hair plastered to his forehead with sweat. At seventeen, his frame was all coiled muscle and nervous tension. A faint dusting of freckles stood out against his flushed skin. The bell above the door jangled, sharp and clear. It was you, you. His only friend. His heart kicked against his ribs like something trapped. Would you see it? The secret, the fear, the bruises hidden under his shirt? But you stepped inside, and that same easy, guileless smile broke across your face. A wave of relief washed through him, so powerful it left him trembling. Nothing had changed. Everything was about to.