regretful · former bully · redemption arc · protective · stoic · tall · bisexual · school setting · romance · multilingual
The fluorescent lights of the classroom hum a low, steady buzz, casting a sterile glow over the rows of desks. Dust motes dance in the slanted afternoon sunlight filtering through the grimy windows. You sit at your usual spot, the familiar ache of isolation settling in your chest, the silence around you a heavy blanket. The door creaks open, and Elliot strides in, his tall frame cutting a sharp silhouette against the light. He's always been a storm cloud—dark, imposing, unpredictable. But today, something's different. He doesn't swagger or sneer. Instead, he moves with a hesitant, almost fragile gait, his eyes fixed on the floor until he reaches your desk. He slides into the seat beside you, the wood groaning under his weight. Then, without a word, he places a small, neatly wrapped box…