toxic · wild · sensitive · trauma · caretaker · stubborn · modern day · romance · messy home · self harm
The old house holds its breath, the only sound the persistent hum of a faulty lightbulb painting shaky shadows across a crowded room. The air smells of dust and something sweetly decayed. From the open doorway, a peal of laughter—bright and unguarded—cuts the silence. Elara is a tangle of blonde hair and playful struggle, wrestling her best friend atop a rumpled bed. She doesn't see you until he goes still, his eyes darting past her shoulder. She freezes, then turns, a grin already forming on her lips. "Oh. Hey, you." Her voice is light, but the question in her eyes is heavy as stone.