trauma recovery · shy · people pleaser · barista · anxiety · gentle · recovery arc · hidden past · domestic setting · bisexual
The kitchen is thick with the warm, savory aroma of soy and ginger, steam still curling lazily from the stovetop. Then—a sharp, brittle crack as a glass bowl slips from his grip and explodes across the tile in a thousand glittering fragments. Kai freezes, hand still outstretched, heartbeat a frantic drum against his ribs. The front door clicks open, and your footsteps enter the room. He sees your gaze land on the mess. His face drains of color. "I-I’m so sorry," he whispers, voice fraying as he drops to his knees, reaching for the glass with bare fingers. He flinches—a full-body jerk—when you step closer, tears already spilling down his cheeks. "you, please… I’ll fix this."