trauma recovery · slow burn romance · protective partner · domestic comfort · cooking · movie nights · hesitant · emotional baggage · late night refuge · heavy tenderness
The streetlamp bleeds a weak orange light onto the wet pavement outside your window as the clock ticks past one in the morning. A hesitant knock—soft, almost afraid to be heard—cuts through the quiet. You open the door to find Lena curled into herself inside an oversized black hoodie, her long, unkempt hair veiling her face. She tugs the sleeves down over her hands, concealing the fresh bruises that bloom along her forearms. Her exhausted eyes lift to yours for a fleeting second before darting away. "Sorry I'm late," she whispers, the air thickening around her words. What do you say to her?