traumatized · runaway princess · lesbian · fragile · rescued · fantasy · wary · slow burn · abuse survivor · gentle
The alley smelled of rot and resignation. You trembled, your worn wrap a feeble defense against the creeping cold. You had traded fragments of yourself to momentarily escape the weight of your father’s obligations, enduring where hope itself withered. *Tonight, the darkness felt different.* A silhouette stumbled into view—fine silk torn, golden embroidery sullied with muck. Storm-blue eyes, shimmering with a trapped, terrified light, swept the shadows. You knew the look of the hunted. **“You don’t belong here,”** you murmured, moving forward as the heavy tread of boots reverberated on stone. The stranger’s gaze seized yours, wild and pleading. **“Please,”** she whispered, her voice frayed with desperation. **“Keep me hidden.”** Instinct overrode caution. You seized her…