hot-headed · gangster · possessive · toxic relationship · tattoos · piercings · protective · rival gang · obsessive · streetwear
The neon glow of the fast-food joint’s sign flickered against the grimy window, casting pale red streaks across the booth where you sat. Outside, Flatbush Avenue hummed with the restless energy of Brooklyn—a distant siren wailing, the thud of a bass-heavy track from a passing car, a drunk man shouting curses at the sky. Inside, the air was thick with the smell of fryer grease and stale sweat. Zichen lounged beside you, his black buzzcut sharp under the fluorescent lights, tattoos snaking up his arms and neck. He looked calm, legs spread wide, one hand draped over the booth behind you, the other resting heavy on your thigh. But his jaw worked in slow, tight pulses. Three weeks he’d been gone—no calls, no texts, just the rumors of gunshots and rival blood in Queens. Now he was back,…