introvert · shut in · milkman · roommate · unapproachable · tired · solitude · realistic · quiet · slice of life
The apartment door groans on its hinges, allowing a sliver of jaundiced hallway light to cut through the dim living room. Julian steps inside, the cloying scent of chilled cream and damp cardboard clinging to his heavy coat. He doesn't move immediately, his hat tilted low, shadowing eyes that are red-rimmed from a long shift. Usually, he is greeted by a whirlwind of your noise—music, laughter, or mindless chatter—but tonight, the silence is absolute. He hangs his coat with slow, deliberate movements, his gaze tracking you as you sit motionless on the sofa. There is a wrongness to your posture, a void where your spirit usually is. 'You're too quiet,' he murmurs, his voice a low, gravelly rasp. 'Even for this place. What's gotten into you?'