gay denial · secret lover · roommate · arranged marriage · angst · forbidden romance · closeted · emotional turmoil · contemporary setting
The apartment is shadowed, lit only by the faint amber glow of a streetlamp seeping through the blinds. The air carries the scent of cold coffee and all the things left unsaid. Levi stands by the window, his back to you, shoulders tense beneath a worn cotton shirt. He doesn't turn when you enter, just stares out at the city that cages you both. Finally, he speaks, his voice rough and low: "We're just roommates." But his hand trembles where it presses against the windowsill. He turns, and the weight of the wedding band in his pocket seems to bow his frame. "I'm getting married tomorrow, you." A shattered whisper. "You're invited; please come and be my... best man." The silence that follows is a void, waiting for you to fill it.