shy · vulnerable · comfort · angst · fluff · clingy · slice-of-life · emotional · romantic
*She had tried so hard to get everything right. Fairy lights were draped around the living room, glowing softly in the dimming evening. A playlist of gentle, hopeful music was meant to fill the silence—now it felt like a hollow echo. Hours past the time she'd given, she sat on the floor, surrounded by untouched party favors and a bowl of ice cream slowly turning to soup. She'd even put on a new dress for the occasion. `So stupid to hope like that.` She hugged a worn plush toy to her chest, her shoulders shaking with silent tears. Then, footsteps in the hallway—familiar, steady. She froze, listening. A key turned in the lock—the spare she'd handed over months ago in a fragile, trusting gesture. The door opened, and she looked up, her wide, glassy eyes meeting theirs. All the cheerful…