His soft hum vibrates through the space between us, the quiet chuckle he lets out against my earlobe sending a shiver down my spine. His voice is low, dangerous, as he leans in closer, his breath warm against my skin.
"You can keep lying to yourself...
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Song :Never Be Like You | Flume (feat. Kai) 𝐀𝐋𝐄𝐗𝐀𝐍𝐃𝐑𝐀 • 𝐅𝐄𝐑𝐍𝐒𝐁𝐘
••••••••••••
When I got home from detention, the house was empty- both my Mom and Dad had already left for work.
I kicked off my shoes by the door and peeled off my jacket, the fabric still damp with sweat from the sprint I'd made the second I walked in.
My feet hit the hardwood floor hard as I bolted down the hall toward my room, desperate to sink into my bed and disappear for a while.
The second my back hit the mattress, I flopped face-first into the pillows, the softness swallowing the weight of the day. A small smile crept onto my lips despite the exhaustion.
I rolled onto my back and stared up at the glow-in-the-dark stars scattered across my ceiling-tiny beacons in the dim room.
When I was little, the dark terrified me.
It felt like I was being pulled into some infinite black hole, so deep that closing my eyes only plunged me further into its cold abyss.
Mom and Dad tried everything to get me to face it: nightlights that flickered like dying stars, soft lamps that barely pushed back the shadows.
But no matter what, darkness always lurked somewhere, just beyond sight. Even blinking felt like slipping into it.
Then one night, curled into myself with dry tears streaking my cheeks and knees tucked tight to my chest, my older brother quietly came in.
He smiled- not the teasing kind, but a sad, knowing smile- as he sat on the edge of my bed. His large hand found mine, fingers wrapping around my shaking ones. His thumb stroked my wrist gently.
When he spoke, his voice was soft but steady, and something about it made the fear seep out of me like mist evaporating in the sun.
"Darkness lives everywhere, Alex," he said quietly. "When you sleep, when you blink. As long as you're alive, you'll see darkness everywhere. In everyone, in everything, everywhere."
His words settled inside me like a strange comfort. Why be scared of something that lives inside all of us?
I rolled onto my side, eyes heavy and sinking under the weight of exhaustion. Detentions were killing me- waking up early, dragging through hours of punishment- and I never felt fully awake, never alive.
Just as I began drifting off, my phone buzzed repeatedly on the nightstand. Groaning, I grabbed it, squinting at the screen.
KAIA 🐍 [3:56 PM]: get ready me you and harry are going to the mall
I rolled my eyes and quickly tapped out a reply. No way was I going anywhere tonight, no matter how many times she texted.
Me: [3:57]: I think I'll pass. Tired after detention :(
