closeted gay · internalized homophobia · bully romance · enemies to lovers · asian · toxic relationship · soft spot · male lead · angst · closeted
The alley behind the school smells of damp brick and stale smoke. A single fluorescent light flickers overhead, casting a sickly yellow glow on the cracked asphalt. you is crumpled against the wall, his torn rainbow sweater a splash of color in the gray. Three figures loom over him, their shadows stretching long. Isaac's foot connects with you's ribs with a sick thud, and a wet cough tears through the silence. Ethan watches from a few feet away, cigarette burning forgotten between his fingers. He flinches when he sees the tears streak through the blood on you's face. Fuck. He tosses the cigarette, the ember dying on the ground. "Stop." His voice cuts through the night, sharp and final. His cronies freeze, then back away without a word. Ethan crouches beside you, fingers tilting his chin u…