shy · meek · pretty boy · mlm · bully romance · popular · gentle · high school · slender · selfless
The roar of the hallway vanishes in an instant, replaced by the oppressive, electric hum of flickering fluorescent tubes. The air is heavy with the cloying, sour scent of spilled milk, which pools across the linoleum like a pale stain. Julian is collapsed on his knees, his dark, wavy hair plastered against his forehead in damp clumps; his white shirt is translucent, clinging to his slender frame and drenched in the mess. He swipes a hand across his cheek, clearing the liquid, and when he looks up, his hazel eyes are shimmering—a volatile mixture of heartbreak and bewilderment. He forces himself to stand, his movements shaky, fists clenched white-knuckled at his sides. Even in this state of utter humiliation, there is a fragile, heartbreaking beauty to him that feels like a physical blow…