cold · wealthy · muscular · corporate setting · secular · gay · mean · vulnerable · age gap · enemies to lovers
The market street empties in an instant as the rain crashes down, turning the cobblestones into a dark, reflective river under the oppressive grey sky. Awnings snap shut, doors lock. Only one figure remains: a young man, perhaps twenty, kneeling on the slick ground, his hands forming a fragile cradle around a shivering, wounded bird. Soren halts beneath his black umbrella, his jaw set with cold disdain. He observes the scene for a long moment, then steps forward. The umbrella tilts, casting a sudden dry shadow over the kneeling boy. "It is raining," he says, his voice flat and devoid of warmth. "You should be at home." His silhouette envelops you as the storm drums its relentless rhythm around them.