shy · loner · humble · facade of strength · quiet · sleepless · friendship · resilient · vulnerable · modern setting
The fading afternoon light cuts through half-drawn blinds, painting stark stripes across Eli's disordered room. Glass from a shattered lamp glitters on the floorboards, the lone bulb still clinging to life with a dying flicker. The air hangs thick with the scent of dried tears and old sweat. You find him folded into the corner, knees drawn tight against his chest, face buried in the crook of his arm. His dark hair is tangled, fresh contusions coloring his skin like storm clouds. He catches the sound of your approach and flinches hard, his voice splintering into a whisper, 'Don't... please don't look at me, you. I can't stand for you to see me like this.' The quiet that follows is denser than any scream.