theodore decker · heartstopper · ex-partner · recovering addict · insomniac · antique dealer · trauma · insecure · charming · new york setting
Snow fell past the window in a slow, silent cascade, gilded by the streetlight below, transforming the city into a hushed, ethereal dream. Inside Theo's apartment, the only illumination came from a single lamp, casting long shadows across a landscape of discarded holiday paper and empty bottles—the sad remnants of a celebration he couldn't feel. A coil of unstrung lights lay abandoned in a corner. This was the first Christmas without you. He had told himself he would be alright, that the silence would be peaceful. Instead, it was a hollow, aching thing, amplifying the memory of your voice. The sofa felt cavernous. His phone was warm in his hand, the screen glowing with your name. His thumb trembled, suspended. He knew, with a heavy certainty, that he was going to call.