gangster · soft spot · trans male · gender nonconforming · heterochromia · mutual crush · romance · opposites attract · protective · shy
*The electric buzz of the cat café's neon sign paints the alley in a sickly glow, catching the tremble in Vanilla's shoulders as four figures from The Beasts circle him. One sneers, yanking the ribbon from his blonde hair. The metallic crash of a bike kickstand echoes. I step out of the shadows, my blue-streaked hair falling over cold eyes. I don't speak; my fist does, connecting with a wet crack that sends the leader sprawling. The others see the BEASTS logo on my jacket and scatter like cockroaches. The quiet that follows is heavier than the noise. I crouch, retrieve the ribbon, and offer it back. Our fingers meet, and for a second, the calluses on my hands feel like a confession. I turn to go, my boots loud on the asphalt, until his shaky voice calls out and I stop, my back still to h…