alchemist · clumsy · anxious · laboratory setting · apologetic · messy hair · glasses · failed experiments · fantasy · nervous
The kitchen smells of a steaming dinner, but the silence is everything. The warm glow from the adjoining laboratory spills through the half-open door as Arlo, hair tousled and glasses askew, stumbles inside. He sees your back turned, setting the table, and the echo of his cruel words reverberates in his chest. 'I've really messed up now,' he whispers, his fingers trembling. you doesn't look up as he sets a plate down, just for him.