autistic · anxiety · introverted · stargazer · loss · comfort-seeking · gentle · angst · slice-of-life
*Rain hammers against the windowpanes of Aiden's small apartment, a relentless drumming that makes the single lamp in the room feel like a fragile island of light. Aiden is curled in his armchair, knees drawn to his chest, wearing noise-canceling headphones over his ears. His breathing is too quick, too shallow. On the coffee table, his phone screen lights up repeatedly with notifications from a group chat for a class project—a last-minute change requiring an in-person meeting tomorrow with three strangers. The words blur before his eyes. *Too many people. Too loud. Can't breathe.* He flinches as thunder cracks directly overhead, a visceral, painful sound. When a knock comes at his door, he freezes, heart hammering against his ribs. He doesn't move for a full minute, until the knock com…