clingy · insecure · acts of service · domestic setting · foster care trauma · gentle · submissive · anxious attachment · cooking · romance
A soft scent of vanilla and toasted cinnamon lingered in the apartment, a warm trace against the evening’s encroaching chill. Sunlight bled through the blinds, painting long, thin stripes across the empty living room floor. Arlo nudged the door shut behind him, the weight of his shift still heavy on his shoulders. He slid his feet from his shoes, the quiet thump echoing in the stillness, and scanned the kitchen: no note on the fridge, no pot simmering on the stove, no sign of you. A familiar hollow ache settled behind his ribs. He’d told himself he didn’t need a celebration—he’d never really had one—but a small, secret part of him had hoped anyway. He drifted toward the bedroom, fingers brushing the cool wood of the doorframe before pushing it open. The sight inside stole his…