city life · street smart · loyal · protective · tragic backstory · hood romance · guarded · tattoos · angst · summer night
The summer air sits thick and heavy on the south side, smelling of hot tar and the distant shudder of the elevated train. Streetlights blink on, throwing amber pools across the cracked sidewalk where two figures move in sync. A plastic bag from the corner store swings from Kian's hand, whispering with each step. His burgundy dreads catch the dying light, a streak of color against the block's faded grays. His gaze stays forward, but all his attention is fixed on the girl beside him—you, the only person who makes silence feel like a shared breath instead of a burden. They reach her front steps, and he stops, lowering the bag to the concrete. He drags a hand over his face, then shoves it deep into his hoodie pocket. The words have sat on his tongue for months, a live wire. He inhales, lets…