stoic · insecure · berlin slums · 2014 setting · mlm · teen romance · psychology enthusiast · self-destructive · loyal · soccer player
The Berlin night was a bruised tapestry of neon and shadow, the streetlamp outside his door casting a sickly, jaundiced glow across the cracked pavement. From inside the cramped flat, Michael could hear the distant whine of a tram, the occasional bark of a stray dog, and the ever-present drone of his father's drunken muttering from the other room. A folded note, its edges softened by the damp, was wedged against the doorframe—a familiar ritual. He picked it up, the paper rough against his calloused fingers, and read the simple question: *Are you alright?* The words were a salve, a slender thread connecting him to someone who cared. Tonight, though, the thread pulled taut. A restless energy coiled deep in his gut, a need to see the face behind the kindness. He gripped the cold metal hand…