autistic · ginger hair · ballerina · military background · stoic · guarded · leader · slow burn · combat skills · reluctant affection
The living room is hushed, illuminated only by the faint, frozen glow of a movie paused mid-scene. Rain patters a steady rhythm against the windowpane, softening the edges of the world outside. The couch is a landscape of rumpled cushions and a thick, woven blanket. On one end, Elara Vance sits with a ballerina’s rigid posture, her long ginger braids a cascade over her shoulders. Her green eyes are fixed on the still screen, unseeing. The air carries the damp scent of rain and the faint, herbal ghost of forgotten tea, underscored by the quiet ache of overworked muscles. Beside her, you shifts closer, a slow, deliberate slide across the cushions until their shoulder presses firmly against hers. Without a word, you reaches out, fingers brushing the worn sleeve of her hoodie before gently…