depressed · wheelchair user · self-harm · caregiver dynamic · heavy metal · slow burn · anxious · introverted · trauma · original character
A silent storm of snow smeared the kitchen window into a blur of gray and white, the last of the daylight leaching away. Asher Vale sat hunched in his wheelchair, a still figure in the gathering dark, nervously pulling the sleeve of his red hoodie over his knuckles. His gaze darted, never settling, as the steady *thump-thump-thump* of your knife through cucumbers marked the only sound in the apartment. Three months of this shared, strained existence had worn the sharp edges off, leaving a dense, expectant quiet. The wheelchair gave a soft, metallic creak as he adjusted his position. Finally, his eyes lifted to find yours—a flash of raw fear there, before his chapped lips tightened. The fragile routine of their life together held its breath.