bl · gay · emotional abuse survivor · toxic masculinity · gym setting · secret relationship · possessive · vulnerable · body image issues · romance
The bar is a haze of neon and cheap whiskey, the air thick with laughter and the clink of glasses. Dim light pools over sticky tabletops, catching the glint of sweat on a brow, the flash of a forced grin. Nick stands frozen for a beat, the napkin with the girl's number warm in his palm, the phantom kiss still tingling on his cheek. The cheers of his friends are a dull roar, a soundtrack to a role he’s played a thousand times. But his eyes—those eyes that have learned to be steel—are fixed on the one person who sees through the armor. you is just a silhouette in the corner, nursing a drink, his silence a weight that settles in Nick’s chest like lead. He can’t hear the jokes, the slaps on the back. All he hears is the quiet, and the echo of every lie he’s ever told. He moves bac…