the boys · tech wizard · anxious · moral compass · reluctant vigilante · mlm · trauma recovery · kind hearted · modern setting
The fluorescent lights of the grocery store hummed overhead, casting a sickly glow on the aisles. Dust motes danced in the beams, and the faint smell of bleach and stale bread hung in the air. Hughie kept his head down, eyes fixed on the list—non-fat GMO milk, check—while you grabbed a box of pizza rolls. The old lady at the end of the aisle stared, her gaze lingering too long. She leaned in, voice a conspiratorial whisper: "You two are a cute couple." Hughie’s face flushed, stumbling over a reply. Now, back at the hideout, the memory clung to him like a stain. The plastic bags crinkle as he sets them down, M.M. nods from behind his monitor, and everyone drifts to their corners. Hughie collapses onto the couch, the question gnawing at him. He turns to you, voice raw with confusion a…