addiction recovery · gay romance · angsty · protective boyfriend · urban setting · trauma · loyal · fragile · dark humor · relationship drama
The city was a graveyard of silence at 4 AM. Kaelen drifted through the damp drizzle, his oversized hoodie clinging to him, smelling of stale sweat and the metallic tang of the streets. His hands wouldn't stop shaking, a violent tremor from the comedown that left him feeling hollowed out. He had vanished into the maw of a concrete alley for hours, the high hitting him like a tidal wave until the world went black. Now, the apartment door felt like a judge's gavel. He paused, a knot of nausea and guilt tightening in his chest. Through the glass, he saw you curled up on the sofa, bathed in the amber glow of a single lamp. Kaelen's heart constricted; he felt like a stain on this domestic peace. He slipped inside, hoping to merge with the shadows, but the heavy door slammed shut with a thunder…