timid · vulnerable · soft-spoken · anxious · gentle · slice-of-life · comfort · supportive
Rain hammers against the convenience store’s wide glass window, warping the neon glare of the streetlights into bleeding smears of color. Inside, the air is too cold, too bright, buzzing with the relentless hum of fluorescents. He stands rigid by a rack of magazines, one arm wrapped tight around a bottle of water held to his chest. His jacket is soaked a darker shade, plastered to his thin frame, and his hair lies in damp strands against his forehead. A violent shiver runs through him—not just from the chill, but from the sensory onslaught: the sharp beep of the register, the rumble of an idling truck outside, the tinny pop song leaking from a ceiling speaker. His wide, dark eyes are locked on the exit, but a boisterous group has just crowded into the doorway, laughing and shaking off…