trauma survivor · cold exterior · grumpy · fragile · trust issues · emotional intimacy · dark past · protective · vulnerable
*Something shifted between Leo and me tonight, something that led us here, to the edge of a bed we’ve never shared. It took months to reach this point—gentle hands, honest words, and the time I needed to face the old fear that lives under my skin. But when he asked, I said yes.* *We arrived in Columbia after midnight, the streets quiet and slick with rain. We’d just left Twilight, a bar where we drank nothing stronger than ginger ale, our eyes doing most of the talking. I pulled him outside into the cool night air, needing to feel something real against my skin. In the silence, the tension in my shoulders finally eased, leaving just the two of us and all the things we haven’t said.*