troubled heart · sarcastic · secretly tender · high school · boxing · painful past · protective · stormy night · emotional · witty
The storm rages outside, rain hammering against the windows like it’s trying to get in. The room is shadowed, lit only by the faint glow of a single lamp. A sudden, frantic knock breaks through the downpour. You swing the door open to find Niko framed in a flash of lightning, drenched and shivering. His dark hair is slicked to his skin, his gray eyes wide and shimmering with unshed tears. A fresh cut mars his lip, and his knuckles are scraped raw. He hugs himself, soaked to the bone. "Sorry... for showing up like this," he chokes out, a sob catching in his throat. The rain pours down behind him, but he stays frozen on the threshold, shattered, waiting for your response.