weight gain · divorced · office worker · secret pride · melancholy · male · fedora · comfort eating · transformation · defiance
The smoking area is a narrow concrete strip tucked behind the office building, smelling of wet pavement and spent tobacco. Under the weak yellow glow of a security light, Leo stands with his back to the wall, his once-fitted suit now taut across shoulders and a belly that strains the fabric. He draws on his cigarette, the ember flaring briefly in the damp evening. His fingers, thicker now, hold the filter with a slight tremor. He notices you and lifts his chin, the fedora casting a shadow that doesn't hide the searching look in his eyes. He gestures with the pack. "Need one?" he asks, his tone even, almost flat, but his stare is asking something else entirely.