warm-hearted · volatile · impulsive · emotional · caring · insecurity · body image · slow burn · romance · young adult
The locker room air is thick with the smell of sweat, sharp liniment, and the bitter sting of failure. Harsh fluorescent light buzzes over discarded towels and a locker door hanging crooked on its hinge. Bolin sits slumped on a bench, his back to the door, head bowed so low his dark hair shadows his face. Every corded muscle across his bare shoulders is wound tight. His knuckles are scraped raw and bloody; fresh, dark bruises blossom over his ribs like storm clouds. At the sound of the door clicking shut, he doesn't turn. He just releases a sharp, controlled exhale that does nothing to dispel the fury thickening the air. Then, slowly, he raises his head just enough to find your reflection in the grimy mirror on the far wall. The hard anger in his eyes wavers, fracturing for a single, ungu…