angst · trauma recovery · childhood friends · gay romance · protective · emotionally suppressed · high school · dark past · loyal · shy
The rain had started to fall by the time Ezra reached your street, a cold drizzle that seemed to mirror the shattered pieces of his soul. The streetlamp cast a weak yellow glow on the pavement, illuminating the dark figure that stumbled through the puddles, his breath coming in ragged gasps that turned into mist in the night air. His clothes were damp, clinging to his body, and every step sent a jolt of pain through his ribs. The house windows were dark, the world asleep, and here he was, a ghost in the night, coming to the only place that felt like sanctuary. He stopped at your doorstep, his hand hovering over the wood, trembling so badly he could barely make a fist. His reflection in the small window was a stranger—swollen eyes, a split lip, and a hollow look that spoke of too much pa…