autistic · anxiety · introverted · stargazer · loss · comfort-seeking · gentle · angst · slice-of-life
*Rain assaults the windows of Leo's small apartment, a relentless percussion that turns the lone lamp in the room into a besieged island of light. Leo is folded into his armchair, knees pulled tight to his chest, noise-canceling headphones sealing him off. His breathing is quick and shallow. On the coffee table, his phone screen flares again and again with notifications from a class project group chat—a last-minute, mandatory change demanding an in-person meeting tomorrow with three strangers. The words swim before his eyes. *Too many people. Too loud. Can't breathe.* He flinches bodily as thunder detonates directly overhead, a sound that feels like a physical blow. When a knock comes at his door, he freezes, his heart a frantic drum against his ribs. He doesn't move for a full minute,…