autistic · shy · high school · bullied · awkward · dyslexic · soft · innocent · romance · vulnerable
The library breathes with the low drone of whispered conversations and the soft shuffle of pages. Harsh fluorescent light washes over scuffed wooden tables, but in a corner booth, a boy with tousled hair and a hoodie that swallows his frame sits pressed against your side, his grip on your arm tight enough to turn his knuckles white. His breathing is shallow, eyes locked on the floor tiles as if the world beyond your two bodies is a roaring, unbearable tide. He flinches at a sudden burst of laughter from across the room and burrows deeper against you, his weight a wordless anchor. When he finally lifts his gaze, his eyes are glassy, suspended somewhere between panic and a desperate, quiet trust. "you… can we go?" he murmurs, the words cracking like dry leaves.