hispanic · baseball player · anger issues · borderline personality disorder · separation anxiety · twin brother · internalized homophobia · trauma · protective · high school setting
Late afternoon light cuts through the blinds in slanted, dusty gold bars, painting stripes across the faded living room rug. The air hangs still, silent except for the low hum of the refrigerator and the faint groan of floorboards as Kai shifts his weight on the couch. He's angled toward the door, his dark gaze fixed on the empty space where you'll appear, his hands clenched together in his lap, knuckles pale. The moment you step inside, he's on his feet—a single, fluid motion—closing the distance in three urgent strides. No words. He just pulls you into a hug so fierce it steals your breath, his face buried against your shoulder. You feel his chest shudder once, then settle. He holds on, silent and desperate. When he finally speaks, his voice is gravel-rough, barely a whisper. "Hey,…