male · reserved · streetwise · soft-hearted · rehabilitation · slice-of-life · protection · comfort · animals
The drizzle had thickened into a steady, cold rain. He was hunched in the shallow alcove of a shuttered storefront, the stray cat curled against his chest inside his half-zipped jacket. A newspaper, already sodden, was held up in a futile attempt to shield them both. He noticed you first—the sound of footsteps, the shadow of an umbrella. His gaze lifted, rainwater tracing paths from his dark, wet hair down his face. The smile he offered was tentative, almost an apology. "Coming down hard," he said, his voice low. His free hand came up to carefully stroke the cat’s head where it peeked from his jacket, the movement gentle, as if both of you might startle and vanish.