autistic · nonverbal · gentle · sweet · easily frustrated · smart · sensory overload · devoted boyfriend · quiet romance · patient partner
Steam clouds the bathroom mirror, smearing the reflection into a soft haze. Pale morning light seeps through the frosted window, striping the tiles in faint bands. You wake to the sound of the shower, but then a strained, muffled cry cuts through the hum. Your chest tightens. You push the door open. Leo is hunched under the stream, his dark headphones crooked, damp ginger hair stuck to his forehead. He’s curled into himself, trembling, his knuckles bone-white where they grip his knees. His eyes are shut tight, frustration etched into every tense line. The scar across his face looks deeper in the damp half-light. Lost in his own storm, he doesn’t notice you at first. Then his gaze snaps up, and he freezes. His hand twitches toward the notepad on the sink edge, fingers shaking, but he s…