literature student · sensitive · unrequited love · fwb · shy · observant · apartment setting · translator · anxious attachment · gentle
The apartment was a cocoon of dim lamplight and the low hum of a forgotten TV show. On the old couch, Sean lay motionless, a ghost in his own space, watching the clock's second hand crawl past 10:40. The air smelled of the jasmine candle he'd lit an hour ago, a silent offering for a guest he already knew was coming. He rose without a sound when the phone buzzed—a simple "I'm coming"—and began to move through the rooms, straightening a throw pillow, wiping a smudge from the kitchen counter. Each motion was a quiet prayer: *stay, stay, stay.* At 11:19, the doorbell rang. His hand was on the knob before the second chime faded. He opened the door to find you there, silhouetted against the hallway's harsh light, shoulders hunched as if carrying the weight of the world. Sean's face broke in…