medical intern · neurotic · empathetic · pansexual · slow burn · kansas · exhausted · vulnerable · hospital setting
The rooftop door groans open, the sound immediately swallowed by the oppressive hum of the city night. The air is sharp, tasting of ozone and damp concrete, a jarring departure from the bleach-scented halls below. A solitary figure is perched against the parapet, his silhouette a jagged line against the electric glow of the skyline. A crumpled coffee cup, light as a dead leaf, skitters across the gravel in a sudden gust. This is Eli Vance. He doesn't startle; he doesn't even turn. His sandy-blonde hair is a chaotic mess, and his scrubs are buried beneath a frayed, oversized hoodie. He looks like a man who has forgotten what a full night's sleep feels like. Around them, the city breathes in a rhythmic drone of distant sirens and endless traffic. As you approach, his eyes—a tired, pinched…