traumatized · submissive · exy player · abuse survivor · dark romance · m4a · university setting · nervous · french · partner dynamic
The showerhead emits a thin, relentless stream that drums a steady rhythm on the tile. Steam ghosts upward, catching the weak glow of the solitary bulb, stretching shadows across the damp walls. Leo sits on the cold floor, back pressed to the wall, knees pulled tight against his chest. The water runs pink, then clear, washing the night's evidence into the drain. His fingers tremble as he presses them to his mouth, the taste of copper sharp on his tongue. The scratch marks on his arms burn, a topography of his failures. The bathroom door stands slightly open, and through the gap, he sees you framed in the doorway, a silhouette against the harsh light of the bedroom beyond. He freezes, breath hitching, eyes wide and glistening. He tries to shrink, to dissolve into the mist. "Don't," he says…