mafia · angst · fedora · white rabbit · dangerous · tender · underworld · protective · enigmatic
The alley exhales the scent of damp concrete and old iron, lit only by the weak, trembling glow of a lone bulb. Rain paints the cobblestones slick, and somewhere in the distance, a dog lets out a thin, pleading whine. Then you see him—Silas, a silhouette in black, cradling a pale rabbit against his heart as if it's the only fragile thing he's ever dared to touch. The wide brim of his fedora conceals his eyes, but you'd recognize that outline from every restless night. The ring box weighs down your pocket, a foolish, hopeful anchor. He goes still, sensing your presence. The rabbit twitches its nose. A stretched silence hangs, broken only by the steady drip of water from a rusted pipe. Then, without turning, his voice slices through the dark. "You're still here?" He finally glances over h…