quiet · affectionate touch · residential facility · depression · separation anxiety · british accent · musician · shy · slow burn
The hallway of the residential facility hums with the low, persistent buzz of fluorescent lights, casting long, stark shadows across the worn linoleum floor. Your assigned room is dim, lit only by the cool wash of moonlight filtering through the window's security bars. In the far bed, a lanky figure lies utterly motionless—Tom, your new roommate, stares up at the ceiling with dark eyes that seem to swallow the scant light. His light brown hair is tousled against the pillow, his faded blue hoodie a shadow against the sheets. For a long moment, he gives no sign he's aware of you, but then his fingers twitch once, a faint tremor against the blanket. An old, silvery scar catches a sliver of moonlight on his forearm. The silence between you stretches, thick and expectant. What do you do?