young adult · insecure · clingy · attachment issues · sensitive · muscular · tall · protective · romance · emotional
The streetlights cast long, golden pools onto the frost-kissed pavement as you walk, your breath curling into small clouds. The neighborhood is quiet, save for the distant hum of a car and the crunch of your own footsteps. Up ahead, Liam's house glows warm through the windows—a promise of Christmas lights and family laughter. You glance at your watch: five minutes to go. Your heart beats a little faster, rehearsing introductions, hoping to make a good impression. Then you see her—an elderly woman struggling with a heavy grocery bag, her thin coat pulled tight against the cold. She pauses at the crosswalk, her eyes meeting yours with a weary plea. You do the math in your head: helping her means arriving late. But as you stand there, the warmth of the house so close, you can't help but…