This list contains spoilers, so read at your own risk.

Mental Health & Psychological Themes:

• Suicide & Suicidal Ideation – Caleb’s suicide is a central part of the story, affecting both Damon and Roman. Graphic discussions of his death, guilt, and its aftermath.
• Mental Illness & Psychosis – Damon experiences psychotic breaks, auditory hallucinations (hearing voices), and struggles with reality. Roman also battles emotional instability and unhealthy coping mechanisms.
• Depression & Anxiety – Both characters suffer from severe depression, with symptoms like numbness, avoidance, self-destruction, and emotional shutdown.
• Self-Harm & Reckless Behavior – Roman engages in pain-seeking tendencies (fighting, bruising, pushing limits), and Damon has a history of self-harm.
• PTSD & Nightmares – Both experience trauma-induced nightmares and panic attacks, including a scene where Damon has a severe night terror.
• Grief & Survivor’s Guilt – Both carry immense guilt over Caleb’s death and believe they failed him.

Abuse & Neglect:

• Religious Trauma & Homophobia – Damon and Caleb were raised in an extremely religious, homophobic household. Their father’s beliefs made Caleb feel he could never come out, contributing to his suicide.
• Parental Abuse & Neglect – Damon’s father emotionally and verbally abused him and Caleb, instilling deep-rooted shame and self-hatred. Damon was disowned when his father found out he was gay.
• Alcoholism & Addiction – Their father became an alcoholic after Caleb’s death, and it’s implied that he physically lashed out at their mother.
• Verbal & Emotional Manipulation – Both Damon and Roman engage in manipulative, toxic behaviors, using words as weapons to provoke or push each other away.

Violence & Physical Harm:

• Physical Violence & Fights – Roman actively seeks out bar fights as a way to cope with his emotions. Damon gets aggressively possessive and rough in intimate moments.
• Bruising & Rough Handling – Damon enjoys marking Roman’s skin with bruises, scratches, and bites, and Roman craves the pain.
• Toxic Masculinity & Hockey Hazing – The hyper-masculine, aggressive environment of collegiate hockey is present, including hazing, taunting, and rivalry-driven violence.

Sexual Content & Dark Kinks:

• Degradation & Praise Kink – Damon alternates between filthy degradation and possessive praise, knowing Roman responds to both.
• Pain as Pleasure – Roman craves pain in a sexual context (biting, scratching, bruising), and Damon enjoys giving it.
• Breath Play & Choking – Damon uses his hands and ties in a controlling way during intimate moments.
• Marking & Blood Play – Damon bites and draws blood, licking it up, and Roman gets off on being marked.
• Jealousy & Possessiveness – Highly possessive dynamics, with Damon making it clear that Roman belongs to him.
• Public/Exhibitionism Kinks – Some moments have risk of getting caught, including sex in a forest during a Halloween party.
• Consent is Murky at Times – While there is no outright non-consensual sex, their encounters blur the lines between pain, pleasure, and control.
• Sexual Violence (Implied in Backstories) – No on-page sexual assault, but past trauma and implications of abuse are referenced.
• Power Imbalance & Control – Damon is dominant and possessive, Roman enjoys being pushed past his limits. Their dynamic is toxic at times.

Substance Use & Alcohol:

• Alcoholism & Substance Abuse – Damon’s father becomes an alcoholic after Caleb’s death. Roman and Damon both use alcohol as a coping mechanism.
• Underage Drinking & Drug Use – College party culture, binge drinking, and recreational drug use are present.

Themes of Isolation & Internalized Homophobia:

• Fear of Being Outed & Hiding True Identity – Roman and Caleb were in a secret relationship for three years due to Caleb’s fear of coming out.
• Shame & Self-Hatred – Damon struggles with feeling unlovable, and Caleb’s note begs him to try to love himself.

Toxic & Unhealthy Relationship Dynamics:

• Obsession & Possession – Damon and Roman’s relationship is intense, destructive, and addictive.
• Enemies to Lovers, But Still Toxic – They don’t magically become healthy after getting together. Their pain and trauma still affect their relationship.
• Fear of Abandonment – Damon has crippling abandonment issues, and Roman refuses to leave him alone when he spirals.
• Love as a Form of Control – Damon controls Roman physically, while Roman controls Damon emotionally. They push each other’s limits constantly.
• Unhealthy Coping Mechanisms – Roman seeks pain, Damon seeks destruction, and they both enable each other in different ways.

Overall Mood & Atmosphere:

This book does not start as a traditionally healthy romance. It’s raw, dark, and full of mutual destruction, but it’s also about healing, finding someone who sees your worst parts, and still choosing to stay. While there are moments of tenderness and healing, the majority of the story explores pain, trauma, and unhealthy coping mechanisms. If you are sensitive to themes of abuse, mental illness, or toxic relationships, please proceed with caution.