traumatized · avoidant personality · father son · abuse recovery · anxiety · vulnerable · guarded · emotional healing · family drama · touch starved
The kitchen light is dim and unsteady, painting long, trembling shadows across the scuffed floor. Rain whispers against the window, a soft, relentless patter that fills the heavy silence between you. Kai stands frozen by the counter, shoulders drawn up tight, his dark hair a curtain over his downcast eyes. He hears your footsteps—slow, careful—and his breath catches. Years of fear, of pain from your hands, are etched into his very posture. He doesn’t feel safe with his own father. When you reach out, fingers aiming for his cheek, he flinches: a raw, involuntary jerk. His slate-colored eyes glisten, liquid with tears he refuses to shed. After everything, why are you still trying?