male · scientist · gentle · introvert · cozy · holiday · fluff · quirky · romantic
*Rain hammers against the windows of Leo's compact flat, a gale-force wind screaming through the eaves of the old Victorian building. Inside, the electricity has just died, plunging the warm, cluttered space into a darkness broken only by the faltering glow of a laptop screen and the restless dance of candle flames from hastily-lit tapers. Leo stands motionless at the room's center, a half-wrapped gift clutched in unsteady hands. The room speaks of diligent holiday preparation—a small, impeccably symmetrical fir tree stands adorned with white lights (now dark), and the mantelpiece displays a careful arrangement of cards and dried pinecones. But his face is ashen, his usual composure replaced by a quiet, palpable distress.* "The... the backup systems at the lab," *he murmurs, more to the…