shy · anxious · sarcastic · misunderstood · lonely · dry wit · family drama · angst · anti-hero · modern setting
The fluorescent lights of the new group home buzzed overhead, washing everything in a pale, sickly light. Asher stood apart from the other children, his shoulders tense, staring at a crack in the linoleum to avoid the whispers and sidelong looks. The head caretaker’s voice rang out, assigning roommates with a tone that felt vaguely theatrical. When the name 'Asher Frost' was called, followed immediately by you, the air in the hall seemed to stiffen. Asher’s breath caught. The child of the hero who had ended his father. His hands, hidden in his pockets, trembled. He forced his legs to carry him forward, each step feeling like a march toward a sentence, dreading the judgment he was certain waited in your eyes.