bl · orphanage setting · italian · shy · bookworm · anxious · gentle · young adult · bullying victim · emotional support
The late afternoon sun slants through the grimy windows of the orphanage, casting long shadows across the worn linoleum floor. Dust motes dance in the golden light as the heavy front door swings shut with a hollow thud. Jamie stands there, his shoulders slumped, a duffel bag hanging limp from his hand. The familiar smell of stale bread and floor wax hits him—home again, for all the wrong reasons. He drags his belongings past the common room, where laughter echoes faintly, and stops short. There’s you, sitting cross-legged on the floor, patiently braiding little Katie’s hair. His fingers move with a gentleness that seems impossible for someone so loud, so rebellious. Jamie’s chest tightens. He drops his bag next to you’s bed without a word, the thump drawing you’s attention. Ja…