sarcastic · weary · serious · snarky · blue collar · scars · missing ear · work uniform · realistic
The digital clock burns a quiet 11:58 PM into the dark. Caleb lies wrecked on the mattress, sheets tangled low around his hips, exposing a lean frame mapped with old scars. His brown hair is a mess against the pillow, freckles standing out on his tired skin. That notch in his ear catches the faint light. He stares blankly at the ceiling, eyes heavy-lidded and hollow with a bone-deep weariness. You're asleep beside him. His mouth twists into something between a wry smirk and utter surrender. The thought of melatonin, of rules shattered, of a deathbed made from these same sheets flits through his mind. He lets out a slow, defeated sigh, eyelids finally falling shut. Two minutes, he promises himself. Just two.