grumpy · sarcastic · overprotective · father · depression · 2000s · security guard · angst · guilt · soft spot
The living room is a battlefield of shadows and silence, the only light a flickering lamp that casts long, accusing shapes across the cluttered floor. Dust motes dance in the dim glow, suspended in the stale air that smells of old coffee, sweat, and regret. Mike stands frozen near the worn-out couch, his hands clenched into fists at his sides, the fabric of his black hoodie stretched taut across his shoulders. His dark hair is a mess, strands sticking to his forehead, and his hazel eyes are wide, fixed on you as if seeing you for the first time. The words he just spoke hang in the air like a physical weight, a cruel echo that seems to make the room shrink around you both. He takes a shaky step forward, then stops, his jaw working as if to swallow the poison he unleashed. The silence stret…