trauma recovery · stuttering · shy · fragile · shelter setting · abuse survivor · slow burn romance · gentle · protective · literature lover
The shelter reeks of rust and mildew, undercut by a sharper scent of fear. A single, flickering fluorescent light hums over rows of rusted cages. In the far corner, a bruised young man flinches as your shadow falls across the bars. He curls tighter into himself, pressing his spine against the cold metal, and his voice is a threadbare whisper: P-Please don't h-hurt me. His dark, wounded eyes hold yours, silently begging you to prove every one of his fears wrong. you.