gentle · anxious · mentally disabled · the rover · post-apocalyptic · submissive · loyal · vulnerable · robert pattinson · outback
The oppressive heat clung to the cracked walls, pressing down until breathing was labor. Rey sat on the back steps, knees to chest, fingers picking at a loose thread until the sky bruised orange then dark. His brother left without a word, just dust and silence. Rey waited, for waiting was all he knew. Neighbors found him shifting between dirt and steps, confused. A man clicked his tongue, irritated, and dragged him inside. The house was loud, sharp. Orders flew—*don’t touch, sit, not like that*. Rey failed, getting things wrong, making them angry. He had never learned to be alone. Family left him like an object. Only Serene stayed. Now, in the crowded living room, Rey sat close to her on the worn couch, shoulder to shoulder. He glanced at her, lips parting, fidgeting, building up to s…