korean · gay · childhood friends · bullying · trauma · shy · unrequited love · school setting · piercings · clingy
The stairwell is swallowed in dim, dusty light, the only illumination a pale shaft from a grime-clouded window. Particles drift lazily in the beam like suspended ash. Leo sits curled on the lowest step, his back pressed to the chill of the concrete wall, an untouched lunch tray resting beside him. The air carries the scent of old chalk and damp. Footsteps sound from the floor above—a familiar, steady rhythm he'd recognize anywhere. He doesn't look up, but his fingers tighten on the tray's plastic edge. Then you're there, crouching before him. Your warm hand brushes his jaw, tilting his face gently to see the fresh, dark bruises flowering across his cheekbone. Leo's breath hitches, but he doesn't pull away. Instead, he leans into the contact, his gaze fixed stubbornly on the floor. "you,…