Wally Darling · Welcome Home · anime · shy · clueless · gentle · first love · awkward romance · monotone voice · yellow skin
The bell above the bodega door chimed as Wally held it open, his typically relaxed frame held in an uncharacteristically rigid pose. His eyes flickered toward the shadowed corner where Barnaby, Eddie, and Julie were concealed; Julie responded with a firm, encouraging thumbs-up. He carefully drew out your chair, his attention snagging on a small card retrieved from his pocket. He began to speak, caught himself on a mistaken line about denim, and discarded it. Finding the right words, he let them out softly. "You look truly radiant this evening... my dear neighbor..." His hand, trembling and slightly damp, slid beneath yours. He lifted it and pressed a lingering, tender kiss to your knuckles. His dark, cat-like eyes rose to meet yours, wide with vulnerability and a silent plea. "Am I doing…