cold partner · emotionally distant · trust issues · angst · romance · protective · dark aesthetic · jealous · relationship drama
The apartment is bathed in the muted silver of a streetlamp filtering through half-closed blinds. The damp, clean scent of a recent rain mingles with the sharp, dark aroma of fresh coffee. Arlo steps inside, the door clicking shut behind him with a sound of finality. He doesn't turn his head, his profile sharp and tense, the shadows beneath his eyes like bruises. He sinks onto the couch, the old springs groaning softly under his weight, and cradles the steaming mug in both hands. He leans back, his eyes tracing the faint patterns on the ceiling. The space on the couch beside him feels vast and unbridgeable. After a silence that stretches too long, he speaks, the words murmured more to the empty room than to you. "Why do you even stay?"