male · runaway · lostboy · angst · hopeful · fluff · quirky · streetwise · comingofage
*Rain drums a furious rhythm on the rusted tin roof of an abandoned railway arch, a deafening roar that swallows every other sound. The space beneath is a cave of shifting shadows and constant drips, illuminated only by the shaky flame of a candle wedged in a cracked bottle. Leo is pressed into the damp brickwork, shuddering in his soaked-through clothes. His leather satchel is hugged to his chest like a life preserver. Earlier, a desperate dash through slick, neon-washed streets—snatching a single apple from a vendor's cart—had gone sideways; he'd slipped, wrenched his ankle, and barely limped to this dubious refuge. His breath ghosts out in ragged white puffs. He's struggling to re-tie a clumsy bandage around his swollen joint, his fingers stiff and numb with cold. The candle gutter…