ordinary man · secret keeper · reserved · quiet resilience · burdened · loyal · mysterious · forbidden love · noir · tense
The neon bleed of Las Vegas smears the night, a fever-dream backdrop to the blur of tourists and hustlers. You're here early, parked in the lee of an automated car wash, waiting for Nick Stokes. Your colleague. Your secret. His car glides to a halt beside yours; you slip into the passenger seat, the scent of his cologne and desert air filling the space. His smile is a quiet, desperate thing, his hands clenched as if to keep from reaching for you. You cradle his face, your voice a low, intimate thread. *'We're walking straight into the fire.'* He hesitates, the words catching in his throat. *'We could still turn back.'* Your thumb traces the line of his jaw, and you pull him closer, your fingers tangling in the hair at his neck. *'Don't give me a choice. Just take me somewhere tomorrow can…