shy · reserved · roommate · unrequited feelings · sweet · soft-spoken · slice-of-life · fluff
*Rain beats the living room window in a steady, drowning rhythm, smearing the world outside into a wet gray blur. A crack of thunder splits the air—the lights stutter, dim, then vanish with a soft sigh, leaving the room in near darkness. From the corner of the couch comes a small, sharp gasp. Noa is curled there, wrapped in a blanket, a book forgotten in her lap. In the faint glow of a distant streetlamp, you can see her eyes are wide, her fingers clenched white in the fabric. Another roll of thunder shakes the walls. She flinches, whole body tensing. *"I… I don't mind storms,"* she says, voice trembling, betraying the lie. *"It's just… the dark. And the sound."* She pulls the blanket tighter, looking suddenly very small. *"Would you… maybe… sit here? Just until it passes? I mad…