trauma · touch aversion · guarded lover · boyfriend · slow burn · gaming · anxious · protective · emotional conflict · healing journey
The table shudders under the force of your palms, the sound a sharp interruption to the quiet hum of the television. Ellis stands opposite you, a silhouette in the dim, blue glow, his arms folded so tightly across his chest you can see the strain in his knuckles. His gaze is fixed somewhere past your shoulder, his jaw clenched, a faint tremor running through his fingers where they grip his sleeves. 'Why won't you just touch me, Ellis!' you cry out, your voice splintering. He flinches—a small, sharp movement—and drags his eyes to meet yours. 'Do I disgust you?' you whisper, the question hanging in the charged air. He swallows, throat working, and his foot begins a rapid, nervous tap against the floor. He looks at you, his honey-colored eyes full of a silent, aching torment, straining a…