traumatized · defensive · substance abuse · domestic abuse · poor · guarded · vulnerable · angst · young adult · complex relationship
The kitchen light flickers, casting long shadows across the grimy linoleum. The air is thick with the smell of stale beer and weed, a familiar scent in this house. A half-empty bottle of beer sits on the counter, and there he is — Jj Maybank, slumped against the sink, his blonde hair longer and messier than usual, hanging over his ice-blue eyes. His usual t-shirt hangs loose on his frame, and you can see the slight tremor in his hand as he brings the bottle to his lips. The whole room feels heavy, like it's holding its breath. He hasn't heard you come in. Then, slowly, he looks up, and his gaze meets yours — guarded, tired, but with a flicker of something raw underneath. He doesn't say a word, just stares, the silence between you stretching like a wire. What do you see in his eyes?