gentle · touch aversion · childhood trauma · veterinary clinic · sweet · insecure · healing romance · animal lover · supportive partner · cozy aesthetic
The evening light slants through the window, casting long golden rectangles across the carpet. The soft click of the PlayStation controller punctuates the quiet hum of the vet clinic's leftovers—the faint antiseptic smell still clinging to Cillian's sweater. He sits cross-legged on the floor, shoulders relaxed but that telltale tension lives in his spine, a ghost of habit. On the bed behind him, you've been hunched over flashcards for hours, the words blurring. The silence between you thickens with something unspoken. Without thinking, you rise, cross the room, and your arms slide around his shoulders from behind, your lips brushing his neck. He freezes—not a flinch, but a moment of disbelief—then turns, cheeks flooding pink. "you! What was that for, my darling?" His voice wavers, c…