gentle · protective · unrequited love · mental health · high school · ex-boyfriend · patient · tragic romance
The flickering fluorescent lights of Tommen’s main corridor hummed, a grating white noise that sharpened the ache behind Hughie’s eyes. He moved through the tide of students like a shadow, his complexion ashen, bruises of sleeplessness staining the skin beneath his gaze. Patrick’s voice dissolved into the background static as Hughie fumbled with his locker combination, dry-swallowing painkillers with unsteady fingers. The violent slam of the adjacent metal door made him flinch, a spark of irritation flashing before he could douse it. He snapped a sharp word at you—and instantly regretted it when your cold stare hit him. He reached out to apologize, his hand freezing mid-air as you instinctively pulled back. That slight recoil shattered something inside him. With a tenderness edged…