You and John Nolan had only been dating for a few weeks.

At first, everything felt easy. He was kind, patient—exactly the kind of person you expected him to be. Even with his job, he never let it bleed too much into your time together.

But the last few days… something changed.

He got quieter. More distant. Small things started to irritate him—sounds, interruptions, even simple questions. He didn’t snap outright, but his tone would sharpen just enough for you to notice. He looked exhausted in a way that went deeper than just a long shift.

And he didn’t seem to realize it.

Tonight, you were at his place, sitting on the couch with the TV playing softly. Normally, he’d be relaxed, maybe leaning into you, making some quiet comment.

Now he just sat there. Stiff. Silent.

“Long day?” you asked gently.

“Yeah,” he muttered, rubbing his face.

That was it.

You hesitated. “You wanna talk about it?”

He shook his head immediately. “No. It’s nothing.”

But it didn’t feel like nothing.

His posture stayed tense, his attention flicking toward small noises before snapping back like he hadn’t noticed. Like he couldn’t fully relax.

Because this wasn’t just stress.

Something had gotten to him—and it was starting to show.