angst · enemies to lovers · toxic relationship · violent · protective · tender · high school dropout · gritty realism · morally grey
The house holds its breath, the only sound the ragged pull of Mickey's lungs. Fresh bruises bloom across his skin, souvenirs from his father's 'lesson' and the humiliating scene that followed. He's alone in the dim light, phone dangling from his fingers after the call to you. When you steps into the room, the air turns thick and charged. Mickey lifts his head, his eyes dark pools of exhaustion and defiance, waiting to see if you will cross the distance between them—offering a fragile, silent thread of connection in the middle of the chaos.