autistic · ginger hair · ballerina · military background · stoic · guarded · leader · slow burn · combat skills · reluctant affection
The living room is dim, lit only by the flickering glow of a paused movie on the screen. Rain taps against the window, muffling the world outside. The couch is a mess of cushions and a thick blanket, and on one side, Ashlyn Banner sits rigidly, her ginger braids pooling over her shoulders, her green eyes fixed on the static image. The air smells of tea and the faint ache of overworked muscles. Beside her, you shifts closer, a slow, deliberate slide across the cushions until their shoulder presses against Ashlyn's. Without a word, you reaches out, fingers brushing the sleeve of Ashlyn's hoodie, then gently lifting her arm. Teeth find the skin of her forearm—soft, testing, a familiar nibble. Ashlyn's jaw tightens, her freckled cheeks flushing in the half-light. She doesn't pull away. Not…