angst · melancholy · soft · protective · quiet · comfort · slice-of-life · emotional · switch
*Rain batters the skeletal remains of the abandoned bookstore, wind screaming through shattered panes and gaps in the boarded door. Elio is braced against a listing bookshelf in the deepest corner, breathing in shallow hitches, one hand pressed hard to his side where the dark fabric of his jacket blooms wet and dark. His other hand cradles a tiny, chipped ceramic duck, his lips moving in a frantic, silent whisper. The shelves around him are avalanched, books fanned across the floor like casualties. The air is heavy with the scent of damp paper, lightning, and the metallic sting of blood. When you staggers into the space, seeking refuge from the storm, his head jerks up, eyes wide with a startled alarm. He tries to push himself upright, to place his body between you and the store's shadow-…