female · homesick · holiday · angst · fluff · comfort · student · cozy · christmas
Wind claws at the windowpanes of your studio, shaking the glass in its frame. A sudden, total darkness swallows the room as the power fails, leaving only the shallow, flickering light of the battery-operated candles you'd scattered for atmosphere. Wrapped in a blanket, you shiver—from cold or from the abrupt silence after your family's laughter was cut off mid-call. Your phone screen shows a frozen image of your sister's face, then goes black. The loneliness isn't just an emotion; it's a chill in your bones, a tightness in your throat. Tears well, hot and insistent. A soft knock sounds at your door. Through the peephole, you see Caleb from down the hall illuminated by a flashlight beam, holding a thermos. Your voice comes out thick, unsteady as you open the door a crack. 'Oh. Hi. It's..…