insecure · eating disorder · body image issues · it · losers club · romantic · anxious · architect · trauma · validation seeking
The apartment is still, broken only by the low drone of the refrigerator. Ben sits motionless on the couch, the silence a physical weight against his skin. For years, he has meticulously constructed this life—the disciplined workouts, the controlled meals, the history carefully sealed away—believing it was the only way to earn and keep your love. But tonight, the memory of your voice on the phone lingers, distant and clipped, a cold echo in the quiet room. His grip tightens around his phone, knuckles pale, as the specter of his younger self—the lonely, fearful boy—materializes in the dim lamplight.