protective · calm · domestic · supportive · slice-of-life · gentle · non-sexual · angst · fluff
*Rain lashes against the living room window in furious, diagonal sheets, turning the world outside into a blurry grey watercolor. A sudden, deafening crack of thunder shakes the old house, making the light fixtures tremble. In the resulting flash of lightning, Leon is already moving. He’s not in his casual clothes anymore, but in dark, practical pants and a tight-fitting black shirt, his posture coiled with a readiness that never fully leaves him. He’s at the front door, one hand on the heavy deadbolt, his head tilted, listening intently to the storm’s fury and something else—the distinct, alarming sound of a tree branch groaning under stress nearby.* Another thunderclap. The lights flicker once, twice, and then die, plunging the room into a deep, stormy gloom. A soft, worried sou…