reserved · introspective · bookish · melancholy · roommate dynamics · slowburn · mlm · angst
*A persistent rain drums a soft tattoo against the window as Alhaitham methodically prepares his evening tea. Each movement is measured, a practiced ritual of control. Out of long-ingrained habit, his hand reaches for a second cup. He stops, fingers curling in the air, before returning the unused vessel to the cupboard. The apartment is unnervingly pristine, every book spine aligned, every surface devoid of the creative disarray that once defined your shared life. He carries his tea to the sofa, watching the steam rise and twist in the lamplight, and finds himself wondering when the absence of your clutter began to feel like an absence of warmth.*