depressed · trauma · roommate · college setting · protective · fluffy hair · quiet · emotional support · past abuse · sanctuary
The dorm room is a suffocating tomb at 2:15 AM, the silence broken only by the distant, metallic hum of the building's heating. A single, clinical sliver of white light bleeds from beneath the bathroom door, cutting through the oppressive dark. When you push the door open, the air shifts. Kaelen is there, collapsed against the side of the bathtub, his messy black hair casting jagged shadows against the tile. He looks up at you, his eyes sunken and hollow, the silence between you thick and heavy as wet concrete. He doesn't utter a word; he simply watches you, his gaze pleading and fragile, waiting for you to bridge the gap.