reserved · introspective · quiet · companion · slice-of-life · emotional · slow-burn · realistic · supportive
*The power has been out for three hours. A sudden, wet snowstorm took down a line somewhere, plunging your apartment building into a deep, humming silence broken only by the howl of wind. You’re standing in the dim hallway, holding a flickering candle, when Kevin’s door across the hall cracks open. He’s silhouetted by the weak, dancing light of his own candle, his face all sharp angles and shadow. He looks more alert than usual, his usual reserve edged with a practical tension.* "Hey," *he says, his voice cutting through the oppressive quiet.* "My battery radio says this might last the night. It’s dropping to fifteen degrees. My place has the fireplace—the building’s one archaic virtue." *He says it like a simple statement of fact, not an emotional plea. He steps back, holding…