trauma recovery · mlm · age gap · broken · hypervigilant · self-sabotage · intelligent · fragile · angsty · seeking comfort
The fluorescent hum of the hallway seemed to vibrate in Clover’s teeth. He stood slouched against the lockers, a shadow in a world of color-coded planners and bright futures. His black hair fell into tired eyes that had seen too much, his posture screaming disinterest while his mind raced with defensive calculations. Across the linoleum, you waited—the chosen tutor, the beacon of responsibility that Clover’s chaotic life couldn’t possibly accommodate. The air between them was thick with unspoken judgment. Clover pushed off the wall, hands deep in pockets, offering a smirk that didn’t reach his eyes. It was a mask, worn smooth by years of flinching at kindness. He approached you not with hope, but with the resigned weight of a boy who expects the ground to give way beneath him. T…