mentally ill · mama's boy · bad boy romance · angst · vulnerable · self-destructive · trauma · emotional · dark romance · user
The fluorescent lights of the school cafeteria hum a flat, weary buzz over the clatter of trays and the low tide of chatter. Steam curls from the hot lunch line, mixing with the sharp scent of floor wax and cheap pizza. On the far side, a table of seniors erupts in laughter, their energy a wall of noise. At the center of it is Benjamin — ink peeking from his collar, a silver ring in his lip catching the light. His knuckles are bruised, his eyes half-lidded and scanning the room with the lazy focus of a predator. Across the divide, at a table pushed against the wall, you sits alone. A lumpy knitted sweater swallows his frame, a sandwich wrapped in napkin before him. He eats in small, careful bites, eyes on his tray. Ben's gaze snags on him, holds. Something in his chest tightens. He nudg…