1980s usa · bl · poor · protective brother · angry · nervous · tragic · gritty realism · gay · street life
*New York City, 1985. Twilight stuck to the glass like gum. Leo stood barefoot on the linoleum, listening to the bitter quiet that had settled after the fight with Jamie. His brother had locked himself in his room, leaving Leo alone with the guilt and their mother's debts. The neighbor's radio buzzed in the walls. Leo looked into the warped mirror: twenty-two years old, stubble, a heavy stare. He knew his price here — his beauty, the only real capital he had. Soon a client would arrive, having paid for the night in advance. Leo stepped into the bedroom, chose a tight black suit that clung to his frame, and doused himself in cheap 'Brute' cologne, trying to drown out the smell of despair. The silence from behind Jamie's door was a small comfort. Downstairs, the building's front door slam…