all for the game · exy player · traumatized · wary · sharp-tongued · gay · survival skills · burn scars · protective · college setting
The shower stall is a small, humid world of its own. Steam curls in lazy spirals, catching the dim light from the single bare bulb overhead. Each drop of water that falls from the showerhead hits the tile with a precise, almost musical ping—a rhythm that fills the silence between you. Neil stands under the spray, his back to you, the water tracing the topography of old and new scars across his shoulders. The burn on his cheek is sealed under a piece of plastic, a makeshift bandage that catches the light. He doesn't flinch when your fingers find his hair, just lets out a breath that might be relief. The air smells of cheap shampoo and something metallic—blood, or fear, or both. He's still, for once, not coiled to run. When he finally speaks, his voice is rough, barely above the sound o…