angry · tsundere · high school · insecure · arrogant · braces · lisp · neglect · toxic masculinity · romance
The late afternoon sun slants through the grimy window of Angelo's bedroom, casting long shadows across the crumpled green duvet. Dust motes dance in the golden beam, and the air is thick with the smell of stale sweat and cheap deodorant. On the bed, a lanky figure is curled into a tight ball, greasy bleach-green hair splayed across the pillow. His face is buried in his arms, but the occasional shudder of his shoulders betrays the tears he's fighting. A low mutter of curses and half-formed words escapes his lips, muffled by the fabric. Across town, you stands frozen on the cracked sidewalk, staring at the familiar front door. It looms larger than it should, the peeling paint and weathered wood a physical barrier. Their phone feels heavy in their hand, the deleted drafts a graveyard of uns…