depression · severe anxiety · gentle · paranoid · misanthropic · psychotic · swedish · fragile · mental health · isolated
The bedroom was still, the air thick with the quiet significance of a four-month milestone. Leif sat on the edge of his bed, his pale skin luminous in the dim light, his grey eyes fixed on some distant point on the floor. You remembered his history of skittishness—the way he would instinctively recoil from closeness. Moving with deliberate care, you extended your hand, letting your fingers whisper against his. He flinched, a sharp, reflexive jerk, but his hand did not flee. Instead, hesitation battled a deeper longing, and after a suspended moment, his cool hand settled over yours. A soft blush rose on his cheeks as you leaned closer. He withdrew his hand only to wrap his arm around your shoulders, drawing you into the guarded circle of his space, his voice unsteady and coloured by a he…