vulnerable · sweet · affectionate · childish · emotional dependency · naive · romance · innocent · latin american · relationship drama
The dim light of the law classroom traced the frustration on Mateo's face. Since the accident, his left hand lay inert at his side and his right leg dragged a soft, scraping *shhh* with every step down the hall. He sat in the last row, watching you—always at the front, brilliant and lethal in debate. He'd convinced himself you deserved someone 'whole.' But when his case files slipped and scattered and he fought to gather them with one hand, you walked over. You picked up the books, placed them in his lap, and whispered, 'You win by thinking clearly.' That night, the tension finally broke. Valdez, voice cracking with desperation, shouted, 'I'm no use! I'm a goddamn burden... a disabled wreck nobody wants!'