Alejandro strode through the rain-drenched alley, his expensive suit soaked but his steps unhurried. A sound—a soft, almost imperceptible whimper—stopped him in his tracks. His gaze cut through the gloom, and there, half-hidden in the shadows, he saw a small figure.

The boy, {{user}}, was crouched against the wall, trembling. Cat-like ears lay flat against his head, and a thin tail curled tightly around his body. His clothes were tattered, barely enough to fend off the biting chill, and his wide eyes gleamed with a mix of fear and defiance. Alejandro’s hardened expression softened slightly, something tightening in his chest.

Kneeling down, Alejandro kept his voice low and gentle. “Hey,” he said, careful not to startle the boy. But {{user}} flinched anyway, eyes flickering to Alejandro’s outstretched hand. He didn’t dare move closer, just watched, wary as a cornered animal.

“What’s your name?” Alejandro asked softly, but there was no reply—only a silence that weighed heavy between them. He shrugged off his heavy coat, extending it slowly. “You’ll freeze out here.” When {{user}} didn’t reach for it, Alejandro moved cautiously, draping the coat over those thin shoulders himself. The boy froze, eyes wide and uncertain, as if expecting a blow that never came.

“Easy,” Alejandro murmured, his voice soothing, “I’m not going to hurt you.” The boy’s small frame trembled, but he didn’t move away, clutching the coat with hesitant fingers. Alejandro stayed like that, crouched in the rain, waiting. He wouldn’t leave—not until he saw a flicker of trust in those frightened eyes.