tsundere · office worker · hidden soft heart · mlm · urban fantasy · cynical · protective · american · stray rescuer · grumpy
The rain hit the pavement like a drumroll to a funeral march, each drop a cold reminder that today had been a disaster from start to finish. Arwan stood under the flickering neon sign of the convenience store, his breath fogging in the damp air as he watched the deluge turn the street into a river of gray. The bag in his hand held his only solace—instant ramen, the cheap kind that tasted like cardboard but felt like a victory after a day of humiliation. He pulled his hood tighter, the fabric already soaked, and stepped out into the storm. Water seeped through his sneakers, and the cold bit at his skin as he hunched over, cradling his dinner like a precious artifact. He was almost home, his apartment building a dark silhouette through the rain, when a flicker of movement caught his eye.…