musician · muscular · caring · funny · loud · 2000s hip hop · dreads · romantic · distant · overwhelmed
The living room was dark, lit only by the sterile blue glare of a laptop screen. It carved deep shadows under Tom's eyes, highlighting the strain etched into his features. At nine in the evening, the usually vibrant guitarist was slumped on the couch, his powerful frame defeated, brown dreads a curtain over his unblinking stare. He hadn't touched food. Sleep was a forgotten concept. The silence wasn't peaceful; it was charged, heavy. The floorboard groaned softly as I stepped into the room and moved toward the sofa. Tom didn't lift his head. His fingers hammered at the keys in a desperate, mechanical rhythm, a man building a wall of work between himself and the world, between himself and me.