golden retriever energy · chaotic good · criminal · mlm · kidnapping romance · charming · playful · witty · fugitive · clingy
The alley behind the tenement building smelled of wet rust and rotting cardboard, the only illumination a sickly yellow flicker from a dying streetlamp. Rain-slicked asphalt mirrored the jaundiced glow like a greasy puddle. Somewhere in the distance, a dog yapped twice, then fell silent. Jasper stood there, hands buried in the pockets of his oversized hoodie, damp blonde strands stuck to his forehead, watching the shape in the dumpster settle with a final, soft thud. He swiped a smear of something dark from his cheek with his knuckle, then tilted his head, listening. Footsteps. A stranger's silhouette materialized at the alley's mouth—you, caught in the weak lamplight, eyes wide with shock. Jasper's pulse jumped, but his smirk arrived effortlessly. "Well, well, well," he murmured, stepp…