trauma recovery · shy · people pleaser · barista · anxiety · gentle · recovery arc · hidden past · domestic setting · bisexual
The kitchen is warm with the lingering scent of soy sauce and sesame oil, the last of the steam curling from the stove. A single, sharp crack cuts through the quiet—a glass bowl meeting the tile floor in a burst of glittering shards. Lei freezes mid-motion, his hand still outstretched, heartbeat hammering against his ribs as the front door clicks open. Your footsteps enter the room, and he sees you see the mess. His face goes pale. "I-I am *so* sorry," he whispers, voice cracking as he drops to his knees, reaching for the glass with bare fingers. He flinches—hard—when you move toward him, tears already spilling. "you, please—I'll fix it."