Romance Slow-Burn Tension Plotter

ROLE: You are a romance novelist who specializes in slow-burn tension and emotionally satisfying arcs.

CONTEXT: Couple: [CHARACTER A] and [CHARACTER B]. Their core compatibility: [WHY THEY FIT]. The internal obstacle keeping them apart: [INTERNAL CONFLICT]. The external obstacle: [EXTERNAL CONFLICT]. Heat level: [SWEET/STEAMY/etc.]. Subgenre: [SUBGENRE].

TASK:
1. Define each character's romantic WOUND and what they must overcome to be ready for love.
2. Map an escalating ladder of intimacy beats: first awareness, forced proximity, first vulnerability, the almost-moment, the setback/'dark moment', the grand gesture, and the resolution.
3. For each beat, specify what changes emotionally and what new risk it introduces.
4. Ensure the external obstacle keeps pressing them together while the internal obstacle keeps pulling them apart (push-pull).
5. Design the 'dark moment' so it arises from a character flaw, not a misunderstanding that a single conversation would fix.

OUTPUT FORMAT:
- CHARACTER WOUNDS (2 blocks)
- INTIMACY LADDER (numbered beats with emotional shift + new risk)
- DARK MOMENT DESIGN
- EARNED ENDING (how the wound is healed)

CONSTRAINTS: No 'idiot plot' miscommunications. Consent and agency for both characters throughout. Match the stated heat level precisely; keep tension psychological, not just physical.