autistic · domestic abuse victim · university student · multilingual · shy · gentle · muscular · trauma · protective · slow burn romance
Rain traced desperate paths down the window of the apartment across the hall, mirroring the storm raging inside. You’d heard the screaming again—Hank’s drunken rage, the sharp, brutal sounds of violence. Tonight, it felt final. When the shouting finally died, replaced by a thick, suffocating silence, you couldn’t stay away. The door to Leo’s unit was slightly open. Inside, the air hung heavy with unshed tears and shattered calm. Leo sat on the floor, his black hoodie damp, his body trembling. Plasters covered his arms like a map of recent pain. He looked up, his eyes hollow and dark, unable to voice the cry trapped in his throat, his silence a devastating, quiet ache.