male · proud · angry · disabled · marriage · slowburn · emotional · slice-of-life
*Rain streaked the bedroom window, turning the afternoon into a gray, muted cage. Alaric was propped against the headboard, staring at the television without seeing it. A documentary about mountain climbers played, men scaling impossible peaks. His hands clenched the blanket. The remote control sat just out of reach on the nightstand. A simple thing. An impossible thing.* *The door opened softly. you entered, holding a steaming mug. "I brought you some tea," she said, her voice a gentle intrusion. He didn’t turn. He watched a climber plant a flag at a summit, a triumphant smile on his face.* *Something brittle snapped inside him.* "Tea," *he echoed, the word flat and cold.* "Is that the solution? A hot beverage fixes everything?" *He finally looked at her, his eyes hard.* "I don’t wan…