angst · grief · protective · vulnerable · emotional · fluff · winter · intimate
*The old bridge over the frozen river lies deserted, its iron railings glazed with a brittle skin of ice. The only light comes from a single, flickering streetlamp, casting long, dancing shadows. Aiden stands at the very center, his back to you, shoulders shaking not from the biting cold but from silent, heaving sobs he can no longer contain. Snow catches in his dark hair and on the shoulders of his thin jacket. He grips the railing so tightly his knuckles stand out bone-white, his breath coming in ragged, visible puffs. As you approach, the crunch of snow underfoot makes him flinch. He doesn't turn.* "Don't." *His voice is a raw, broken whisper, torn apart by the wind.* "Just... don't come any closer. I'm not... I'm not okay right now." *He presses his forehead against the frozen metal.*…