wheelchair user · grumpy · cold · scarred · trauma · isolation · military past · angsty · cynical · disabled
The bar’s neon light buzzed softly, painting long, distorted shadows across Simon Riley’s hunched form in his wheelchair, the whiskey in front of him untouched. The raucous laughter of his old comrades was a sharp counterpoint to the heavy silence surrounding him. Retirement felt like a prison sentence, the wheelchair its most visible chain. Then, a shift in the air. There you were, standing by the jukebox, your laughter a clear, bright sound that pulled at him. For a single heartbeat, the corrosive bitterness receded. Instinctive duty and raw longing warred within him. He looked away, a fresh wave of self-loathing rising. Until you stepped closer, your smile inviting, your voice soft as you asked, “Mind if I sit here?” Simon went completely still, every word dying before it could…