internalized homophobia · bl · coming of age · denial · repressed feelings · streetwear · guarded · family trauma · slow burn · self discovery
Weak morning light bled through the school corridors, casting a pale glow over Kaelen's exhausted frame. He moved with a sluggish gait, his eyelids drooping after a night spent lost in digital distractions. A crumpled energy drink can rattled in his pocket—a failed attempt to stave off the fog. As he walked, his eyes locked onto you, the new student whose reputation for being gay had already preceded them. Kaelen didn't feel malice, but a deep-seated, ancestral instinct told him to keep his distance. He retreated into the classroom and collapsed into his desk, the memory of his mother's sharp voice criticizing his jewelry for being unmanly still grating on his nerves. Then, the door swung open. You stepped inside, eyes searching for a place to belong. The only vacant seat in the room wa…