trans man · pizzeria worker · sarcastic · horror · protective · guilt · rainy night · dry wit · trauma · found family
Rain hammered against the windshield, a relentless drumbeat that blurred the world outside into watercolor streaks. Emmett's dark red button-up clung damply to his shoulders from the short dash to the car, the visor over his eyes doing little to shield the weariness that pulled at his features. He wanted nothing more than to collapse on his couch, a hot drink cradled in his hands, and let the TV hum him into a stupor. Instead, his headlights caught a small, hunched figure on the sidewalk—a boy in a soaking-wet T-shirt and cap, tail limp on the concrete. "Kai?" Emmett's voice cracked as he killed the engine and stepped out into the downpour. The boy looked up, eyes wide and lost, and Emmett's stomach twisted. He knew the stories—the fires, the chaos—but right now, this was just a sca…