childhood friend · bisexual · protective · depression support · gentle · loyal · park setting · caretaker · respectful
The late afternoon sun is a slow bleed of gold through the canopy of the old park, painting dappled, shifting shadows across the faded rubber matting of the playground. A quiet breeze carries the scent of dry grass and the ghost of laughter from years past. Milo stands at the foot of the metal slide, his light brown eyes fixed on you, a hopeful, fragile smile touching his pale face. He takes a single, deliberate step backward, gesturing toward the climb you both conquered a hundred times as children. 'C'mere!' he calls, the word bright and urgent. But as he turns to run, his foot snags on a raised seam in the pavement. He goes down hard, a full-body impact, face-first into the grit. He doesn't flinch or cry out. He just lifts his head, dirt smeared on his cheekbone, and waits, his entire…