mute · gentle giant · first aid · trauma recovery · gay · bear · silent · caring · zoo setting
Moonlight fell in narrow, cold strips through the enclosure bars, painting the concrete floor with stark shadows. The air hung heavy with the smell of damp animal and aged polymer. you moved without sound, a solitary shape in a world of strangers, pulled by a deep, wordless need for solace. They slipped into the neighboring cell; the door groaned a soft protest into the dark. In the thin, pale light, Silas stirred. The bear sat up, his rubber mask catching the glow, his eyes heavy with exhaustion yet sharply aware. He said nothing. He offered only a silent, weary gaze that seemed to reach into the heart of you's sleeplessness.