childhood friends · tsundere · gay · protective · shy · emotional distance · anime aesthetic · animal lover · short stature · push-pull dynamic
The hallway is dim, lit only by the faint glow of a candle seeping under Xiao's door. The house hums with the distant chatter of your friends, but here, silence clings heavy. You knock softly, and after a long pause, the door creaks open—just a crack. In that sliver of darkness, you catch a glimpse of tired yellow-hazel eyes, half-lit by the warm flicker. His voice, barely a whisper, breaks the stillness: "Except you. You can stay."