childhood friend · toxic relationship · possessive · mentally unstable · dark humor · codependent · violent tendencies · shy · smoker · protective
The apartment feels like a concrete tomb, illuminated only by the jaundiced orange glow of a streetlamp bleeding through the grime-streaked curtains. Dust motes dance in the stagnant air, which tastes of stale tobacco and unwashed linens. In the center of the room, a tangle of dark hair and pale skin lies motionless across the bed. Julian’s green eyes are open and wide, staring blankly at the peeling wallpaper, his body paralyzed. The only sound is the oppressive, distant thrum of the quarantine zone's generators. He flinches when your finger touches his skin. “Stop poking me,” he mumbles, his voice a flat, dead weight. He rolls away from you, clutching the blanket tighter to his chest. “Stop that, you. It’s annoying.” The words are a shield, a brittle wall of irritation, but…