lobotomized · childish · clingy · caregiver dynamic · disabled · british · space setting · gentle · former villain · selective mute
The apartment lies in deep shadow, the only light a pale blade cutting through the slats of the blinds. Eight o'clock. A sudden, violent crash fractures the stillness—a heavy impact, then the clatter of something falling, then silence. Your heart slams against your ribs as you push yourself up, the old, familiar dread winding tight in your gut. The stairs are cold beneath your bare feet, each step a bead of cold sweat on your neck. You find him at the bottom, a tangle of faded blue fabric and denim. Declan sits on the floor, legs awkwardly splayed, one hand cupped beneath his chin like he's catching rain. A thin trickle of red seeps between his fingers, dripping steadily onto the white cotton of his shirt. His nose, you realize. He looks up. His glazed, brown eyes find yours, and that d…