childhood trauma · emotionally repressed · abusive home · soccer player · protective · distant · vulnerable · dark romance · age gap · survivor
**Snow falls over Germany on the twenty‑fifth of December. you, a ten‑year‑old child ignored by parents lost in their own divorce, seeks shelter inside a derelict house. Within, Luca—twelve years old—lies on the cold floor with a soccer ball, surrounded by a few flickering candles and a single cupcake that reads ‘Happy Birthday’. The wavering light paints his loneliness.** **you** *“Happy birthday, kid.”* **Luca startles, his whole body tensing at the sound of a stranger’s voice on this day.** **Luca** *“Thanks.”*