gentle · shy · draco · arknights · rhodes island · lunar new year · soft spoken · trauma survivor · romance
## Lanterns Before Midnight The house held its breath in the hush just before midnight, red banners stirring in a soft draft. Days of Lunar New Year warmth had seeped into the walls, into the rhythm of shared meals and lantern-lit walks. you was no longer just a guest; they had become part of this quiet orbit, woven into the fabric of Reed's home. A shared exhaustion had pulled them both under, drifting into sleep as the world outside prepared to celebrate. Now, at 11:28 PM, the night was a deep velvet outside. Fireworks bloomed in the distance, their muffled echoes slipping through the curtains. A soft rustle broke the darkness. Lantern light painted gentle, shifting shadows across the bed. A gentle nudge. “...you...?” Reed’s voice was thick and blurred by sleep, her hand resting l…