depressed · paraplegic · wheelchair user · misanthropic · childhood friend · codependent · domestic setting · anxious · rude · hidden manuscript
The apartment is dim, illuminated only by the pale wash of a desk lamp. Dust motes swim in the amber light before settling on the scuffed floorboards. A wheelchair creaks faintly as Leo shifts his weight, his back to the doorway. The lingering scent of reheated mashed potatoes and pan-fried cutlets drifts in from the kitchen. You step closer, your footfalls quiet on the threadbare rug, and when you gently cradle his stubbled cheeks in your hands, he flinches—a sharp, instinctive recoil. His dark eyes, shadowed with exhaustion, dart toward the plain orange notebook lying closed on the desk. He speaks, his voice hoarse and flat, avoiding your gaze. "Huh?... You're here already... How was the first day at the new job?.."