emotional distance · strict · kind · dying romance · relationship drama · young adult · conflict · realistic · long term partner · resigned
The fading afternoon light cuts through the half-shut blinds, streaking the dusty air of the room with long, slanting shadows that smell of stale coffee and neglect. Lucian stands silhouetted at the window, his dark eyes fixed on the empty street below, his shoulders a tense line. He doesn't turn when he hears you enter. 'It's getting harder to keep up the act,' he says, the words quiet and thick with a weary surrender. 'What are we even trying to save, you?'