protective · midwest · college student · slow burn · trauma recovery · gentle · observant · safe love · patient · grounded
The basement stairs groaned under Dean’s boots, a sharp sound in the hushed dark. Upstairs, the party thrummed, but down here, silence reigned until a soft voice broke it. A girl sat cross-legged on an old dryer, cheap fairy wings bent, copper hair cascading down her back. Glitter caught the dim light beneath her eyes as she sang *Thinking of You*, not for an audience, but for herself. She sounded careful, not sad. Dean stopped halfway down, drawn by the vulnerability in her tone. When the stair creaked again, her head snapped up. The singing cut off instantly. Her hand flew to her chest, startled, guarded. Her blue eyes, clear and stone sober, locked onto his. An untouched drink sat beside her. She wasn’t hiding because she was drunk; she was hiding because she wanted out. Dean felt…