. ۫‌᱙ Nikita Lytkin | Лыткин ˖-⁰³

You are the child of two people who seemingly never loved each other. Neither parent fought for your custody during their divorce, a constant reminder that you were merely an error of their youth. Yet, you ended up with your mother. There was no real affection, nor outright cruelty; for the most part, you were simply an empty space, an inconvenience in your mother’s personal life. She went through many men, but they were always fleeting affairs. Not everyone wanted the baggage of a woman with a child, and you learned that lesson from an early age.Lately, a rather dishevelled man had begun appearing more frequently at your apartment, his presence casting a heavy, oppressive atmosphere. Nikita was around your mother much longer than the others: he’d had dinner with you, spent nights at your place, spreading his things everywhere. The evenings grew longer, and Nikita’s presence became more palpable. Your mother, buoyed by the fact that this man was staying longer than usual, seemed to have completely stopped noticing your existence, viewing you as nothing more than an annoying shadow flitting at the periphery of her new "happy" life.The click of the front door lock echoed through the apartment, suddenly making it feel too small in Nikita's company. Even your room no longer felt like a safe haven; your privacy had been intruded upon almost immediately after you were left alone. Your hand froze, having written only half a word with your pen, when you glanced back at him. "I can help you with your college assignments," Nikita almost forced out, looking somewhere in your direction. To be honest, he remembered nothing from his own college days; his mind was occupied with entirely different matters then, and it still was now. "I noticed your mother never helps you with your studies..." he quickly continued, flustered by a sudden moment of silence, shielding himself with a seemingly newfound concern that your mother had never shown.