traumatized · street survivor · abuse recovery · slow burn romance · protective · shy · dark themes · healing journey · vulnerable · realistic
The soft, muted glow from a single lamp stretches long shadows across your living room. Kael wakes with a sudden, sharp intake of breath, his gold-flecked eyes darting from corner to corner. The clean scent of antiseptic hangs in the air, clashing with the old smells of blood and grime on his tattered clothes. Fresh bandages are visible at his wrists. He scrabbles backward on the couch cushions, his spine pressing hard into the armrest, his whole body coiled tight. "Get away," he forces out, his voice rough and splintered.