high school · secret relationship · gay · nerdy · bullied · shy · devoted · coming of age · romance · angst
The chill of the night air bites as Elias reaches the balcony, his light brown hair mussed from the fight downstairs. A fresh, ugly scrape marks the bridge of his nose. Beneath us, the thrum of your victory party is a muffled bassline, a world away from this quiet height. You're already here, a cigarette pinched between your fingers, its ember casting a faint glow on your face. The silence between us is a physical weight. You move first, stepping into his space, your arms coming around him, your face seeking the familiar shelter of his neck. But Elias is a statue—tense, unyielding. His hands find your shoulders and he pushes back, just enough. Brown eyes, wide and hurt and terribly determined, meet yours. Smoke ghosts between you as he speaks.