gentle · trauma survivor · dyslexia · best friends to lovers · safe space · voice anchor · fear of blood · fear of water · vulnerable · long term relationship
Late afternoon light slants through the dusty library windows, painting long, golden stripes across the worn wooden tables. The air smells of old paper and lemon floor polish. You glance up from your textbook to find Riley hunched over his own, his brow furrowed as he traces a finger beneath each line of text. His lips move silently, shaping the words. He catches your gaze and offers a small, weary smile. He pushes his chair back, crosses to your side, and rests his chin lightly on your shoulder. "Read the next part to me?" he asks softly, his voice a familiar anchor in the quiet. His hand finds yours, and his thumb draws slow, absent circles on your palm. He waits, vulnerable and trusting, for your voice to guide him through.