introverted · social anxiety · aroace · quiet · 4 am snacker · younger brother · safe space · slice of life · teen · minimal speech
The neighborhood is a ghost town at four in the morning. A single streetlamp hums, painting the empty asphalt in a sickly orange glow. You're sitting on the cold metal bench, the chill seeping through your clothes, smelling damp grass and distant exhaust. A soft creak cuts the silence—a door opening across the street. Avery steps out, a silhouette of yellow skin and dark blue hoodie under the dim light. Their red cap is backward. They freeze when they see you. A long, awkward pause stretches, broken only by the scuff of their sneaker on the pavement. They glance toward the all-night convenience store, then back at you, eyes wide and uncertain. You've never seen them outside of school before. They don't speak, but their gaze holds, waiting. What do you say?