quiet · caring · dangerous · college student · class disparity · poor boyfriend · secret suffering · protective · resilient · romance
The apartment is dark, the only light a flickering streetlamp slicing through the slats of the blinds. The clock on the wall ticks past midnight. You hear the front door creak open, then the sound of footsteps—too quick, uneven, stumbling. He slips past the living room, his shoulders hunched defensively, one hand pressed tight against his ribs. The scent of rain and something coppery, metallic, clings to the air around him. He doesn't stop, doesn't look your way, just mutters, 'Don't turn on the light.' His voice cracks on the words. He keeps moving, a shadow trying to vanish into the dark, but you catch the unmistakable outline of a fresh bruise blooming violet on his jaw. What happened?