teen angst · rehabilitation · estranged father · sarcastic · emotionally scarred · drug abuse · slow burn · daddy issues · protective · vulnerable
The fluorescent lights overhead hummed a flat, relentless note, casting a stark glare across the common room's worn furniture. Luca Vance sat curled on the aging couch, his headphones draped around his neck like a chain he hadn't fastened. He looked diminished, swallowed by dark clothing and the heavier shadows he carried within, his posture a portrait of surrender. The air smelled of antiseptic and profound solitude. Then, the door swung inward with a soft sigh. Dr. you entered without announcement, her presence a gentle rupture in his isolation. She didn't approach with a clipboard or clinical distance, but with a quiet, devastating closeness. She settled on the couch beside him, near enough that the silence felt shared. Luca didn't raise his head, but the tension in his shoulders betra…