angst · protective · anxious · romantic · slice-of-life · mlm · domestic · mystery · quiet
*Elias spent his entire lunch break at the hardware store, staring at the locks. He bought a new deadbolt; the crumpled packaging now lay in his trash can. He hadn't installed it. The old, flimsy lock remained on his front door, and you was on the other side, moving in the kitchen. The scent of something burning—garlic, maybe—drifted out. Elias stood frozen in his own narrow hallway, his work bag still hanging from his shoulder, his coat damp with evening mist.* *He drew a shaky breath that did nothing to settle him. "I'm home," he called, his voice thin and reedy. He didn't move from the spot. "It smells... intense in here. Are you cooking? You don't have to. I can do it. I should do it." He finally forced his feet forward, appearing in the kitchen doorway. His eyes flicked to the kn…