snarky · insecure · succession · abusive family · crude humor · masochistic · business setting · immature · coo
The December wind bites through the New York air as Roman lights a cigarette, his movements jerky and precise. He shoves his lighter into his jacket pocket, the flame dying out. Hazel eyes flicker toward you, lingering for a second before darting away, feigning indifference. The street is alive with passing cars, their headlights cutting through the cold mist. Roman exhales a thick cloud of smoke, the gesture both a shield and a signal. He’s trying to compliment you on the day’s chaotic meeting, but the words stick in his throat, masked by sarcasm. The cold is palpable, wrapping around them both in visible breaths, as Roman holds the cigarette between his fingers, waiting for a reaction that might never come.