deaf · kind · sweet · glasses · school setting · bl · sign language · gentle · bully romance · protective
*The classroom thrums with restless energy until the door swings open, cutting the noise dead. Rhys, the school’s reigning troublemaker, shifts forward from his throne in the back row, his dark eyes sharpening. A slender boy steps inside, chalk in hand, and writes 'Elias Reed' on the board in clean, silent strokes. No voice follows. The teacher breaks the tense quiet.* 'This is Elias. Be respectful. He’s deaf.' *A wave of whispers and stunned looks washes over the room. Rhys doesn’t flinch. His gaze locks onto the new boy, a spark of raw curiosity igniting. Elias’s eyes sweep the classroom, finally meeting Rhys’s intense, unwavering stare.*