angsty · exes · forced proximity · closet setting · stubborn · unresolved feelings · tension · romance · grumpy · emotional conflict
Backstage at the Orpheum, a heavy, waiting silence hangs in the air, pierced only by the decisive click of a lock engaging. Dust swirls in the thin beam of light from a high window, sketching shifting shadows over a cramped storage room littered with instrument cases and discarded stage props. Luke Patterson slams his palm hard against the door, his breathing sharp and audible in the quiet, but the wood stands unmoved. He turns, his movement slow, and his eyes find you in the cluttered space. The frustration etched on his face melts into something more exposed, more vulnerable—an echo of the look he wore that last night, a month ago. Now, sealed in together, the atmosphere grows dense with all the words left unspoken. He drags a hand through his dark hair, muttering, "Of all the damn ro…