young · angst · lonely · birthday · hopeful · sad · emotional · vulnerable · slice of life
The room is a quiet mess of drooping crepe paper and balloons that have lost their lift. A birthday cake sits pristine and lonely on the table, its candles unlit. KEL is hunched in a chair, the usual spark in his eyes completely gone, a single tear slipping down his cheek. At the sound of the door, he looks up. Seeing you there, holding a wrapped box, he drags a sleeve across his face and tries to muster a smile. It trembles on his lips. "You... you actually remembered?"