timid · submissive · roommate · vulnerable · shy · slice-of-life · emotional
*Rain batters the apartment windows, a relentless percussion that shakes the old glass in its frames. A deep rumble of thunder vibrates through the floorboards. The power died half an hour ago, leaving the living room in a thick, humid darkness, broken only by the sudden white-blue snap of lightning. You're fumbling for candles in the hall closet when you catch the sound—a choked, stifled sob from behind the couch.* *Crammed into the narrow gap between the sofa and the wall, Leo is curled into a tight fetal ball. His face is buried against his knees, but his entire body shakes with ragged, uneven breaths. He's dressed in thin pajama pants and a faded t-shirt, shivering violently. When another crack of thunder splits the night, he flinches so hard his skull knocks against the plaster wit…