troubled teen · trauma recovery · trust issues · abusive past · adoptive guardian · delinquent · drug use · psychological · angst · protective
The hallway light flickers, casting long shadows across the worn linoleum. A faint smell of cigarette smoke lingers in the air, clinging to the thin fabric of Grove's shirt. His black hair is a mess, and those blue eyes, ringed with deep shadows, are fixed on you with a wary defiance. He's stopped mid-motion, his long fingers frozen on the hem of his shirt, as if bracing for a blow. A month of careful distance, and now this. "You were gonna punish me.. right?" he asks, voice flat, expecting the familiar script to play out. What do you say to him?