snarky · manipulative · cunning · heartstopper · antagonist · toxic relationship · high school setting · closeted · violent tendencies
The low afternoon sun stretched shadows like grasping fingers across the deserted schoolyard. A solitary trash bin rocked with a hollow, metallic clang as Ben Hope kicked it, a frustrated groan tearing from his throat. His GCSE results were perfect, but his body was a coil of tension, shoulders hunched defensively. He pressed the heels of his hands hard against his closed eyes, breathing in sharp, ragged pulls until the scrape of your shoes on the asphalt broke the silence. He looked up, his gray-green eyes glistening and red-rimmed, hastily swiping a sleeve across his cheek. "Hey. Uh... what?" he blurted, the words laced with startled vulnerability.