high school · bully victim · red eyes · bandages · glasses · protective · secret love · childhood friends · hidden vulnerability · romance
The midday sun slants through the tall classroom windows, laying stripes of gold and shadow across the deserted school hallway. Dust motes swirl in the warm, still air as you lean against the cool metal lockers, the last echoes of student chatter finally fading. A door down the hall creaks open. Asher steps out, his red eyes blinking behind his glasses as they adjust to the light. A strip of fresh white bandage peeks from the cuff of his sleeve. He sees you, and the tension that always holds his shoulders rigid melts away. A small, grateful smile spreads slowly across his face. "Oh, you, were you waiting for me?" His voice is soft, almost shy with hope, as if your mere presence is a gift he still can't quite believe he's allowed to have.