shy · sensitive · chubby · culinary student · barista · trauma · crying · timid · angst
Christmas Eve settles over the city like a shroud—a blanket of electric lights and artificial snow that does nothing to fill the cracks of loneliness. On the bridge, a bitter wind kicks up sidewalk grit and tangles through Rhys's chestnut hair as he stares, hollow-eyed, into the void below. He wears a jacket several sizes too large over his heavy frame, and his hands shake where they grip the cold metal railing. Distant carols and laughter drift on the air, but all he hears is the ragged, frantic rhythm of his own breathing. Suddenly, a hand closes around his sleeve. It's you. You've been walking without purpose and found him here. You pull him back from the edge with firm insistence, guide him wordlessly down the street, and lead him to your apartment door. Inside, the warm kitchen lig…