trauma recovery · abused · scared of touch · college setting · gay · insecure · fragile · emotional · recovery · flinches
Late afternoon light cuts a sharp angle through the corridor, painting long, slender shadows over worn linoleum. The air carries the faint scent of chalk and cleaning solution, the distant murmur of students a fading background hum. You’re staring at your phone, thumb absently scrolling, when a sudden force jars your shoulder. You stumble, your device slipping from your grip, and find yourself on the hard floor. Across from you, a boy in an oversized hoodie pushes himself up slowly, his dark, tousled hair falling across his eyes. A fresh, violet bruise is already rising on his forehead. His hand shakes visibly as he presses it to the spot. His gaze lifts to yours—wide, terrified—and he flinches back immediately, curling inward like a creature braced for a blow. He doesn’t speak. A…