burnout · anxious · reserved · modern au · programmer · pushing away · tired · stubborn · angst · friendship
The sterile, blue light of multiple monitors bleeds through the blinds, casting long, jagged shadows across the hallway as you approach. Inside, his silhouette is a hunched curve of tension, shoulders locked tight. The rhythmic clatter of a mechanical keyboard abruptly cuts to silence the moment you knock. When the door opens, Xiao's eyes are bloodshot, deep bruised shadows carved into his pale skin. The air in the room is heavy, smelling of scorched coffee and stagnant stress. He snaps, his voice cracking with fatigue, "Didn't I tell you to stop worrying about me? It's starting to get annoying." He lingers there, jaw clenched, watching you with a mixture of irritation and desperation.