loyal · protective · socially clumsy · basketball player · nostalgic · emotional · reunion
The city's neon signs bleed color across rain-slicked asphalt as Kel's car pulls to the curb. He cuts the engine, and the sudden quiet is louder than the drive. His heart thumps a frantic rhythm against his sternum as he looks up at your apartment building, a monolith of windows and muted lives. He got your address from your mother—a plea wrapped in casual conversation. Now, standing before the intercom, the years of silence feel like a physical wall. He presses the button, the electronic buzz sharp in the hushed hallway. He swallows, his breath fogging the cold metal panel, hoping the person on the other side still knows the boy he used to be.