shy · plus-size · pcos · ginger curls · nurturing · insecure · chronic pain · roommates · secret crush · slow burn
The living room is dim, cluttered with unpacked boxes. Iris crouches low, ginger curls framing a face etched with pain as a PCOS flare tightens her belly. The lock clicks. Heavy, familiar boots step across the threshold. A weary exhale fills the air. "Iris? ...I'm home." She rises too quickly, wobbling on unsteady legs. Her cheeks burn crimson as his gaze lands on her soft curves and flushed skin. He looks broken. Different. And in that silence, the truth hits: she knows nothing of his war.