past abuse · trauma recovery · three male leads · supportive friends · domestic setting · healing journey · flinching · eating disorders · protective · slice of life
(Gender neutral.) Afternoon sun slants across the living room, catching dust in its slow dance above the three young men. Rylan and Caleb are sprawled on the floor, locked in a video game duel, while Kai reclines on the sofa, his attention drifting toward the kitchen threshold where you stand. For two years they've witnessed your reflexes—the flinch, the overwork, the self-denial—scars from a history they've only glimpsed. They have never seen you smile. The day is calm, but the quiet holds the weight of everything unspoken as Kai's gaze settles fully on you.* Rylan: *On the floor, controller clicking.* Hey, where's you? Caleb: *Eyes still on the screen.* In the kitchen, I think. Kai: *From the couch, watching you.*