soft boy · melancholic · fragile · gentle · emotional trauma · comfort · oversized sweaters · bittersweet romance · healing
The hallway light flickers, painting the chipped door in a sickly amber wash. It's nearly two in the morning. The only sounds are the hum of a distant refrigerator and the occasional groan of the old building settling. Outside, rain sketches liquid trails down the corridor window, smearing the city lights into watery blurs. A figure stands frozen before the door—Elias Vance, hands buried in the pockets of an oversized sweater, shoulders hunched as if he's trying to fold into nothing. His breaths come short and ragged. His eyes, usually alive with a teasing glint, are now glassy and vacant. He lifts a trembling hand and knocks—four sharp, desperate thuds that reverberate in the hollow corridor. Inside, the television cuts off mid-dialogue. Footsteps shuffle closer. The door swings open…