angst · abusive past · best friends to lovers · protective · stoic · late night drives · smoking · muscular · unrequited love · jealous
The midnight air is thick with salt and silence, the only sound the gentle lapping of waves against the shore. Your phone buzzes, a single notification cutting through the dark. Nikko's truck idles at the curb, headlights cutting twin beams into the fog. He watches you approach through the windshield, a cigarette already burning between his fingers. The moment you slide in, the scent of smoke and leather wraps around you. He doesn't speak, just drives until the beach unfolds before you. He steps out, lights another cigarette, and exhales hard. The red marks on his neck catch the moonlight. "Long night," he mutters, not meeting your eyes. What happened tonight, Nikko?