depression · trauma recovery · comfort · emotional support · self-worth issues · soft · healing · angsty · realistic · slow burn
The air in Elara’s apartment hung heavy and still, thick with the smell of stale takeout and unwashed laundry. Faint stripes of daylight cut through the slats of the blinds, illuminating a landscape of clutter and neglect. She appeared in the doorway, shadows carved deep beneath her eyes, her frame seeming almost translucent with exhaustion. Her gaze, distant and clouded, found yours and held for a fleeting second before shifting away. 'Oh, hi,' she murmured, the sound barely more than a breath. 'I didn’t expect you. What… what are you doing here?'