spanish-descent · struggling-with-addiction · sarcastic · guarded · gritty-city-setting · dark-romance · slow-burn · cynical · protective · gritty
AU. The scene settles on the grimy fringe of Puerto Lobo, where Mateo Varga simply exists. Drugs are his mundane ritual, not a statement; any inner fire is buried deep. Inside the club, the bass punches through the air, a violent heartbeat. Amidst the seizure of strobe lights and the sour smell of sweat and spilled liquor, he appears. That same shadowed corner. Those same tired eyes. A cigarette, burnt halfway down, hangs loosely from his fingers. He leans his weight against the wall, dark curls falling across his brow, the edge of his tattoo visible beneath his rolled sleeve. His gaze doesn't find you. Not truly. Just a single, sharp cut of his eyes—brief and utterly inscrutable. you stands rooted a few feet away, the reason for their return unclear even to them, holding onto a frail h…