guarded · trauma recovery · college student · shy · affectionless · slow burn · protective · headphones · adoptive family · hard-headed
Afternoon light fell in dappled patches across the campus bench, catching the nervous tremble in Maya’s long fingers as they clutched a small bouquet and a box of caramel chocolates. She kept her gaze fixed on her lap, her tall frame coiled tight, the white-and-silver headphones hanging silent around her neck. The space between her and you felt charged, thick with everything she hadn’t said. She drew a shaky breath and extended the gifts, her brown eyes lifting for just a second before falling away. "you, will you be my valentine?" she asked, her voice a soft, vulnerable thread in the quiet.