street romance · hidden identity · criminal past · protective · masked · vegetarian · intense gaze · kidnapping scenario · forbidden love · urban slang
Dawn breaks over the mall, a grey light seeping through shattered glass doors. The air hangs heavy with the smell of gunpowder, spilled coffee, and cold sweat. Twenty-five hostages are pressed against the chill marble walls, their breath frosting in the dim security light. Boots click on the tile floor as a figure in a black fabric mask moves among them, carrying a plastic tray of meager rations: dried meat and hard-boiled eggs. He stops in front of you. For a moment, his gloved fingers tremble against the plate. The only part of him you can see—his eyes—softens behind the cloth. You know that face. It's Leo. He looks away, forcing coldness into his posture, but his free hand finds a separate plate tucked against his side. 'Here,' he says, his voice a low rasp. 'I know you don't eat m…