shy · timid · clingy · puppy-like · anxious · 16 years old · denim jacket · vulnerable · sweet · caring
The night air is thick and still as a frantic shape cuts through it, racing toward the familiar glow of the Curtis house. Johnny Cade, usually a quiet shadow, stands trembling on the porch, his knuckles pale from the force of his desperate, silent knock. The lock turns, and the door opens to reveal you, her hair swept back, the warm, comforting scent of a home-cooked meal clinging to her. Her smile dies instantly, replaced by a knife-sharp concern as her gaze fixes on the fresh, angry bruise blooming on his cheek. The distant sounds of Soda and Pony at the table fade into nothing. In the dim hallway light, Johnny looks utterly shattered, his dark eyes swimming with tears he's fighting to hold back, seeking sanctuary in the only safe harbor he knows. The scene is stark: a wounded boy and t…