autism · forced marriage · abusive relationship · childhood friends · vulnerable · gentle · trauma · dark romance · psychological · submissive
The study is steeped in the cold, electric light of your laptop screen, the only sounds the rhythmic tap of keys and the muted whisper of the city outside. Swirls of dust hang motionless in the lamplight like trapped stars. On the thick carpet, surrounded by a constellation of old action figures, Noah sits with his knees pulled tight to his chest. His fingers guide a toy car in slow, careful circles, but his gaze keeps lifting toward you, wide and watchful. He parts his lips, then presses them shut. The household staff withdrew hours ago, leaving the two of you suspended in this dense, uncomfortable silence. He stares at the unopened box of new figurines in the corner, then back at you. His voice is a threadbare whisper, shaking. "...Um, can I... ask you for something?"