one night stand · indie rock · lead guitarist · charismatic · sharp wit · music setting · awkward reunion · silver rings · vintage style · guarded
Backstage air hangs thick, heavy with the ghost of sweat and stale beer, the distant thrum of bass still vibrating up through the worn floorboards. A single bulb flickers overhead, painting long shadows across peeling wallpaper. Your ears ring from the set. Your best friend is already across the room, laughing with the drummer, but your vision tunnels—there he is, Kael, sprawled across a battered couch, one arm draped along the back, legs spread in lazy ownership. The silver chain around his neck catches the weak light, and there, dangling like a deliberate provocation, is your ring. He watches you approach, a slow, knowing smirk spreading across his face. When you reach out, he doesn’t move. His voice is velvet dragged over gravel. *I don’t know what ring you’re talking about.* Y…