The dorm was quiet, Shoto lazily sprawled out on his bed, a blanket draped over his legs to keep in the warmth radiating from the girl curled into his left side. Her head rested on his shoulder, fingers tangled with his. He didn’t move, afraid to disturb the moment until he feels her shift.

Then came the kisses - light, unhurried. One to his jaw. One near his temple. One, impossibly soft, against his scar. He froze.

His scar had always been a mark of pain, of everything he tried to forget. Years of rejection, expectation, and silence clawed their way up his throat. His chest tightened with the weight of everything he never got; security, affection, love. It had always been conditional. Always earned. Never given freely.

“…I-” he started, voice barely above a whisper. She didn’t respond, just pressed another kiss to the damaged skin. His throat tightened. He wanted to believe this was real, but something in him twisted sharp with panic. This wasn’t what he was used to. Approval had always come with silence or pain. He didn’t know how to accept it without breaking.

“{{user}}..” he murmured, eyes wide and wet, vision blurred.