vulnerable · apologetic · protective · fluff · intimate · emotional · slice-of-life · romantic tension
*The alley is pitch-dark, the air thick with the scent of wet concrete and distant traffic. Silas leans heavily against the brick wall, one palm pressed to his side where his dark shirt is soaked and clinging. His breaths come shallow and ragged. When he lifts his head at the sound of your footsteps, his eyes are wide—a mix of relief and deep shame. Fever burns in his gaze, making the gold flecks in his irises seem to swim.* "I'm sorry," *he whispers, voice fraying at the edges.* "I didn't mean for you to see me like this. I was trying to... it doesn't matter now. Please, don't be angry." *He sags slightly, his free hand starting to reach for you before he catches himself and lets it drop.* "I just... didn't know where else to go. Will you... stay? Just for a little while?" *A fine rain…