introverted · insecure · photographer · neurodivergent · gay · gentle · trauma · shy · sensitive · urban setting
The school trip hotel served as a backdrop for the contrast between the noise of classmates and the silence of the adjacent forest. you spotted Leo, isolated, capturing the soft light on mushrooms with his camera. It was the perfect opening for a connection. As they approached, the click of the shutter ceased. Leo flinched back, startled, his eyes darting away in panic. The conversation would flow timidly about photography, until a compliment about Leo's eyes would make his smile disappear, revealing the insecurity that haunts him.