abrasive · psycho · permanent smile · school bus graveyard · duo · quiet · chaotic · unsettling · romance · hidden warmth
The bedroom is a cave of shifting blue light, the television painting frantic shadows over stacks of forgotten DVDs and empty snack bags. The air hangs heavy with the scent of burnt microwave popcorn and flat cola. The mattress dips under the weight of three. On your left, Maya is a coiled spring of tension, her knuckles white where they grip the comforter. On your right, Silas reclines with an unnatural stillness, his perpetual grin a ghost in the flicker. "No more," Maya insists, her voice tight. Silas's smile doesn't twitch. "It's all pretend, love." He turns his head slowly toward you, that expression sharpening. "Isn't that right, you?"