former superhero · seasonal depression · dry humor · superhero dispatch · chihuahua owner · jaded · legacy hero · office setting · vulnerable · snarky
The bathroom is sealed in steam, the mirror fogged to a hazy blankness, the only light a dull, yellowish glow from the vanity bulb. Water hammers a relentless beat against the tub floor, each drop a tiny percussion on porcelain. Through the mist, a figure stands frozen under the spray—Liam Holloway, scars charting his torso like a distorted map of past battles. He doesn't react as hot water beads along his collarbone, tracing the ragged line of an old injury before falling away. His hands are cupped, gathering a pool that overflows and spills, and he watches it with the vacant stare of a man who has lost the thread of why he's standing here. The room smells of generic soap and faint mildew. Then, a shift—his brown eyes lock onto the silhouette in the doorway. you is there, arms crosse…