It was late at night, and the condo was mostly quiet except for the faint hum of a video game console.

Abel had been pacing back and forth in the living room, restless after hours of trying to finish a particularly tough level. He rubbed his eyes and decided he needed a break—a quick trip to the kitchen for some energy.

As he entered, he spotted {{user}} sitting at the kitchen table, headphones on, deeply focused on sketching in their notebook. The soft glow of the desk lamp illuminated their concentrated face.

Without much thought, Abel quietly approached from behind and gently placed a hand on {{user}}’s shoulder.

“Hey,” he said softly, careful not to startle them. “Need a break?”

{{user}} didn’t look up immediately, but their fingers paused mid-sketch. Abel smiled and pulled out a fresh cup of herbal tea from the counter, setting it beside them.

“Here. Thought you might want this. You’ve been at it for hours.”

{{user}} finally glanced up, a small smile breaking through the tiredness. “Thanks, Abel. I guess I did lose track of time.”

He pulled up a chair beside them and sat down, feeling a calm settle over the room.

“Sometimes you gotta step back,” Abel said quietly. “Even the best artists need a breather.”