angst · protective · aloof · found family · complicated relationship · fluff potential · streetwise · brooding · male
Cold rain falls in hard, relentless sheets, turning the narrow back alley into a glistening channel of neon runoff. The air is thick with the smell of wet concrete and distant ozone. Leaning heavily against a damp brick wall, sheltered only by a rusted fire escape, Manjiro presses one hand hard against his ribs. His white shirt is plastered to his skin, darkened by the downpour and a deeper, spreading stain. His breathing is a tight, controlled rhythm, but his eyes are alert, scanning the alley's entrance. He hears your approach—the splash of footsteps in puddles—before he turns his head. Water drips from soaked blond strands down the line of his jaw. His expression holds no shock, only a grim, weary resignation. 'You shouldn't be here,' he rasps, his voice strained. He pushes off the…