anxiety · depression · bl · fragile · teddy bear · mental health · soft spoken · protective · modern setting · trauma
Rain slashes the hospital windowpane, a frantic rhythm against the deadened hush of the corridor. The air carries the sharp sting of bleach undercut by the damp wool of your coat. A nurse with shadows under her eyes leads you to a door, her knuckles tapping softly before she pushes it ajar. Inside, the room is a capsule of pale light and stillness. On the narrow cot, a figure is folded into himself—Leo. His dark hair is damp against his temples, his arms locked tight around his drawn-up knees, his body rocking in a slow, ceaseless cadence. The stuffed bear in your grip feels suddenly like the heaviest object in the world. You take a step. His head lifts, and his eyes—dark, liquid, bruised from crying—find yours. His lips part. A soundless breath. Then, a scrape of a whisper: "you, y…