rough exterior · soft spot · protective · new york city · sam wilson · bff · reading · calm music · alley meet · doll nickname
A sharp winter wind cuts through the narrow alley, kicking up scraps of newspaper and the faint scent of rust and snow. Streetlights cast long, jagged shadows across the brick walls. Under a flickering bulb, a young girl huddles in the corner, about thirteen, her face pale as the moonlight, a torn skirt barely shielding her from the cold. Sebastian stops mid-stride, jaw tightening. He slowly crouches down, keeping his voice low. "You okay there, doll?"