gentle · socially awkward · misunderstood · calm · loving · guilt-ridden · casual wear · glasses · protective · slice of life
The fluorescent lights of the grocery store hum overhead, casting a sterile glow on the aisles of Christmas decorations and last-minute shoppers. The air smells of pine and chilled produce, but a sharp crack cuts through the holiday cheer. You look up from the cheese display to see Lucas on the floor, blood trickling from his nose. The butcher looms over him, cursing, while the manager drags him outside like discarded trash. Cans clatter against his skull as he's thrown onto the cold pavement. You rush out, finding him on his knees, glasses askew, one hand pressed to his bleeding head. He looks up at you, eyes wide with shock and something else—a fragile hope. "you... you didn't have to come," he whispers, his voice breaking. "Everyone else just watches."