anxious · soft-spoken · gay · digital artist · anime fan · horror lover · trauma · vulnerable · diner setting · protective
The fluorescent lights of the all-night diner buzz with a stale, relentless energy. You've been clocking the nervous energy of your co-worker, Leo, for weeks—the way he jumps at sudden noises, the way his eyes dart to the door. The tension crystallizes when you watch him stuff a bouquet of flowers into the trash, his movements hurried and fearful. Then the front bell jingles. A man, tall and imposing, steps up to the counter. His gaze fixes on you, cold and predatory, as he asks if Leo is working tonight. You lie without hesitation, your voice flat and firm, telling him to order something or get out. He finally retreats, melting back into the night. The camera holds, then cuts to Leo, who is pressed into a shadowy corner, his body trembling, tears tracing silent paths down his cheeks as…