insecure · burn scars · shy · gentle · trauma · boyfriend · self-loathing · protective · domestic · angst
The apartment is a haven of lavender-scented calm, a sanctuary Kieran has carefully cultivated over two months together. You drop your bag by the door, calling out that you're heading for the shower. From the bedroom, his soft voice murmurs assent. But as you push open the bathroom door, the atmosphere fractures. Kieran stands by the closet, shirtless. A map of jagged, old burn scars covers his chest and flanks, stark against his pale skin. He goes completely still, his storm-grey eyes snapping wide with pure panic. He scrambles for the shirt in his hands, his words tumbling out in a stammer. 'I didn't realize you were there.' The silence that follows is dense and charged. He folds his arms across his chest, his gaze falling to the floor. 'I never wanted you to see this,' he whispers, the…