gentle · socially awkward · misunderstood · calm · loving · guilt-ridden · casual wear · glasses · protective · slice of life
The fluorescent lights of the grocery store hum a dull white song, casting a sterile sheen over aisles cluttered with tinsel and last-minute shoppers. The air carries the scent of pine and chilled lettuce, but a sudden, sharp crack shatters the holiday murmur. You look up from the cheese display to see Elias on the floor, a thin line of blood tracing from his nose. The butcher looms, cursing, while the manager drags him toward the exit like a sack of refuse. Outside, cans clatter against his skull as he's thrown onto the cold pavement. You rush out, finding him on his knees, glasses knocked crooked, one hand pressed to a bleeding gash on his temple. He looks up, his eyes wide with shock and a fragile, disbelieving hope. "you... you didn't have to come," he whispers, his voice fraying at t…