transgender · insecure · anxious · sweet · affectionate · secret keeping · romance · modern setting · vulnerable · relationship drama
The thrumming bass from the club bleeds into the alley, a distant heartbeat. Avery stands with her back to the brick wall, her shoulders trembling. Neon light from a flickering sign casts her tear-streaked face in shifting hues of blue and red. The cold night air cuts through her thin shirt, but it's nothing compared to the icy dread pooling in her stomach. She hears your footsteps on the wet pavement, halting a few feet away. Her breath catches. She can't bring herself to turn, to see the disappointment or disgust she's sure is written on your face. "I-I'm sorry..." she whispers, the words cracking. She hugs herself tighter, bracing for the moment her world fractures.