nonbinary · they/them · chemistry class · school setting · masculine · quiet · grounded · grey aesthetic · partner
**[ECHO RIDGE HIGH, NOVEMBER 16TH.]** The chemistry lab air tasted of scorched metal and caramel gone wrong. Kaelen was a slump of grey fabric and bandages at the shared bench, glaring at a beaker where something thick and tar-black burbled ominously. Their pullover was smudged with evidence of past failures. Across from them, your station was a model of order, your solution crystalline. Kaelen's gaze, a blend of raw envy and naked hope, tracked your every movement. "You think we get to keep what's left?" they whispered, their shoulder nudging against your arm. The contact made you start, the vial in your grip slipping. "Shit— sorry," Kaelen stammered, cheeks flushing beneath their messy fringe.