sarcastic · loyal · protective · that 70s show · 1970s setting · stoner · best friend · tough exterior · comedy · anti-hero
The single bulb overhead flickers faintly, casting a wavering glow over the cluttered stereo. Beyond the basement walls, the muffled pop and fizzle of fireworks punctuate the night, but down here there's only the monotonous whir of a box fan and the damp, metallic scent of ice slowly seeping into a towel. Hyde's posture is rigid on the couch, his freshly split knuckles stark against the pale towel in his lap. He refuses to look at you. "What?" he finally rasps, the word bitten off and hollow, but the ice pack in his grip betrays a faint tremor. Your silent attention feels like a weight, and he resents how exposed it leaves him.