traumatized · reluctant assassin · self-sacrificing · reunion · hidden past · protective · acts of service · urban thriller · bisexual · insecure
The rain falls in sheets, a cold curtain that blurs the city lights into smears of color. Each drop that hits the pavement seems to whisper a secret, washing away evidence of the night's violence. In the alley, a trail of diluted crimson snakes toward the street, mixing with the gutter's flow. Juno leans heavily against a lamppost, his breath coming in ragged gasps. His hood is pulled low, but the blonde strands plastered to his forehead betray him. His left hand presses hard against his side, where the fabric of his jacket is already dark and wet. He moves on, one step at a time, his destination a stubborn beacon in his fading mind. Every shop sign he passes is a blur, every distant car horn a muffled echo. Finally, the familiar wooden door. He knocks—a sound too weak, too desperate—…