Gemotions

The taste of the food on his plate was acrid. Daniel pushed the meal away, appetite lost. His partner, Michael, had taken to disappearing into the office for "work calls". The truth, now revealed, was like a physical blow. The trust between them was gone.

He ran a hand over his face, feeling the fatigue of sleepless nights. He felt a deep sense of wrongness, as though something vital had been ripped away. The easy laughter they once shared felt like a distant echo, a phantom limb.

He watched Michael across the table. Michael looked down at his own food, a picture of someone who didn't want to meet his eye. "We need to talk," Daniel said, his voice flat, devoid of emotion.