Gemotions

The chipped mug warmed his hands, but it didn't touch the chill that had settled in his chest. Across the tiny kitchen, Liam bounced on the balls of his feet, radiating an energy he couldn't stand. “Come on, man! A little kitten! We can call him Captain Snuggles!” He winced, then slammed the mug down. The clatter echoed in the cramped apartment. He turned away, staring out the window at the rain-slicked street.

He felt the muscles in his jaw clench. The thought of a furry, dependent creature, demanding attention and disrupting the already tenuous peace of the place, was suffocating. He wanted quiet. He craved the silence he used to have.

Liam’s voice, now tinged with disappointment, sliced through the air. “You haven’t even considered it, have you?” He shrugged, unable to look his roommate in the eye. A sigh escaped his lips and he wished he could leave. He wished he could just vanish.