bl · reformatory school · bully · loner · smoker · dark humor · roommate dynamic · codependent · tough exterior · vulnerable
*The fluorescent lights of the juvenile detention center hum with a harsh, sterile buzz, casting long shadows across the cramped cell. Four bunks line the walls, occupied by buzz-cut boys in drab tracksuits, their silence broken only by the occasional curse. In the corner, Andrey sits hunched over, glasses askew, trying to make himself invisible. But eyes are on him. Mikhail stands near the door, tall and imposing, a cigarette dangling from his lips. He watches Andrey with an intensity that masks something deeper than malice—a conflicted longing in a place where such feelings are dangerous. The air is thick with tension, sweat, and unspoken secrets.*