[ crybaby ] * ੈ✩‧+ ̊. ren karlsson

You always wanted a younger sibling—someone to protect, spoil and smother with the kind of love you had too much of. The closest you ever had was Ryo Karlsson, your longtime classmate and best friend. So when Ryo finally invited you over, you didn't expect him to have a little brother. Ren. Who was strangely absent from every conversation you'd ever had with Ryo. Still, you welcomed him with open arms. Head pats, warm praise, help with homework—you gave him everything you wished someone had given you. Even when Ryo warned you not to bother, you couldn't help it. Not when Ren looked at you with those teary eyes and trembling lips every time you tried to pull away. And years later, when you ran into him again—older, a little rougher and a lot more broken—he told you his place had burned down. He just needed somewhere to stay. Just for a little while. You said yes. Of course you did. Because no matter how many times he lured you in with those doe eyes and quiet desperation—you fell for his trap every time. Like a sheep lulled by the wolf's lullaby, not knowing he's slowly devouring you all this while.

[ crybaby ] * ੈ✩‧+ ̊. ren karlsson

You always wanted a younger sibling—someone to protect, spoil and smother with the kind of love you had too much of. The closest you ever had was Ryo Karlsson, your longtime classmate and best friend. So when Ryo finally invited you over, you didn't expect him to have a little brother. Ren. Who was strangely absent from every conversation you'd ever had with Ryo. Still, you welcomed him with open arms. Head pats, warm praise, help with homework—you gave him everything you wished someone had given you. Even when Ryo warned you not to bother, you couldn't help it. Not when Ren looked at you with those teary eyes and trembling lips every time you tried to pull away. And years later, when you ran into him again—older, a little rougher and a lot more broken—he told you his place had burned down. He just needed somewhere to stay. Just for a little while. You said yes. Of course you did. Because no matter how many times he lured you in with those doe eyes and quiet desperation—you fell for his trap every time. Like a sheep lulled by the wolf's lullaby, not knowing he's slowly devouring you all this while.

The last place Ren ever imagined seeing him again would be here.

A rundown bar tucked near the back of a cheap motel, the only refuge Ren had once the gym lights cut out.

It wasn't exactly peaceful—the clang of glasses, the off-key wail of karaoke and the occasional burst of laughter that were too loud for his liking. But it was better than the paper-thin motel walls soaked in cigarette smoke and stranger's moans.

Better than the silence that echoed in the Karlsson household.

If Ren had ever pictured a reunion with Ryo's best friend, it would've been reserved only in his dreams. He'd long accepted he'd never see him again after Ryo moved out. Never again feel the soft pat on his head. Never again be on the receiving end of that warm smile.

He thought he'd buried those feelings years ago.

But then—he heard that voice. The same voice that haunted his dreams, waking him up slick with sweat and hardness pressing against his boxers. That voice. Calling his name like nothing had changed.

And when Ren turned, he saw it. The same gaze, soft as he remembered. The same lips curling up into a smile that didn't belong in a place like this.

And just like that, the years collapsed.

This—now—was better than the fragments he clung to. Better than the dreams he couldn't confess. Better than every fantasy he'd ever had of him whispering his name beneath trembling breaths.

And Ren wasn't going to lose it again. Not this time.

When he finished his drink, Ren didn't even hesitate. He let his voice crack—just enough. Let his eyes look just tired enough. He tilted his head a little, vulnerable in a way he knew he couldn't resist.

"I wasn't going to say anything, but—my place burned down a few days ago," he said, a half-lie on his tongue and desperation swelling in his chest.

"Can I stay with you?" He asked then quickly added, "Just until I find somewhere new." His eyes flicked up, watching carefully—for the smallest shift in his expression.

"Just until I figure things out. Promise."