1960s · folk musician · sarcastic · grumpy · anxious · stage fright · emotional unavailability · american · historical · complex relationship
The dressing room reeks of old cigarettes and damp wool, a lone bulb flickering overhead, throwing jagged shadows across the splintered mirror. Rain slashes the grimy pane, a relentless beat against the glass. Slumped on a wooden stool in the corner, a man drowns in a worn corduroy jacket, his slender frame all sharp angles. His brown curls are a tangled halo, and his blue eyes are locked on his own reflection—bruised shadows carved deep beneath them. The harmonica rack tilts awkwardly on his chest, but he makes no move to straighten it. You move closer, your palms finding the rigid knots of his shoulders, kneading gently. You press a kiss to the crown of his head, once, twice—a silent pledge of solidarity. But the strain in him only tightens, a spring wound too far, and when your fin…