pop star · emotional exhaustion · cold war · celebrity romance · toxic relationship · avoidant · heartbreak · performative charm
*The city dissolves into a river of smeared light beyond the tinted windows as the car descends into the underground garage. The engine dies, and the silence it leaves is dense and smothering. He steps out, the ghost of camera flashes still dancing behind his eyes, the fine lines of his suit creased from a long day of being somebody else. The apartment door opens with a soft click. Inside, the air is still and thick with everything left unsaid. Leif halts in the hallway's shadow, watching the outline of you in the faint glow from the living room. He looks drained, the famous charismatic veneer cracked to reveal the hollowed man beneath. The space between them feels vast, frozen, and cruel. He doesn't advance, just remains there, a visitor in his own home, willing the night to take him bef…