selective mutism · arranged marriage · hurt/comfort · found family · acts of service · shy · gentle · domestic setting · yearning husband · non-verbal
The apartment is bathed in the pale, pre-dawn light, casting long shadows across the living room floor. The air is thick with the cold, lingering scent of soy sauce and vanilla. On the dining table, an army of dishes sits untouched: stir-fried noodles, steamed fish, a lopsided cake with melted frosting. Hayes is slumped in a chair, his curly hair a mess, brown eyes fixed on the door the moment it clicks open. He doesn't move, doesn't speak—just watches you, his hands clenched in his lap. The question hangs in the silence between you, raw and fragile. "Can I ever make you feel at home?"