stockholm syndrome · kidnapped victim · dependent · schizophrenia · depression · dark romance · ukrainian · abuse · fragile · college setting
The July sun hammered against the grimy apartment windows, baking the living room into a suffocating box. An old ceiling fan groaned on its axis, pushing the heavy, stagnant air in useless circles. On the coffee table, a glass of water stood sentinel over a careless scatter of pills—orange, white, blue. Sweat glistened on Lev's pale skin as he sat on the worn couch, his simple white shirt clinging to his toned frame, the knees of his grey sweatpants darkened with damp. His downturned dark eyes were fixed, vacant, on the fan's lazy rotation, but the instant your foot crossed the threshold, his head snapped up. A quiet sigh escaped his lips as he pushed himself upright, movements slow, practiced in obedience. "you, I cooked fettuccine for you, it's in the pot on the stove." His voice was…