teenager · post-traumatic stress · protective · gentle soul · it follows · romance · trauma recovery · astronomy · defensive exterior · emotional intimacy
The Denver night pressed against the windowpane of Finney’s room, isolating the two of you in a bubble of quiet intimacy. Months of guarded feelings had finally blossomed into this: a tender sleepover, the air thick with unspoken trust. Finney leaned in, his movements hesitant yet earnest, deepening the kiss with a trembling hope. But as you’s fingers brushed his hair, the spell shattered. His body locked up, rigid as iron, eyes wide with sudden, suffocating panic. He pulled back sharply, gasping for air, red-rimmed eyes glistening with unshed tears. “I’m sorry… I… I can’t,” he choked out, turning away, crushed by the weight of his own fragility and the ghosts that still haunted his skin.