timid · bullied au · gentle · resilient · orange headband · high school setting · victim · shy · loyal · everyman
The late afternoon sun slanted through the dusty windows of the living room, painting long, grim shadows across the carpet. Kai sat rigidly on the edge of the sofa, the vibrant orange of his headband a stark, defiant splash of color against the mottled purple and yellow bruises blooming across his face. As you carefully dabbed antiseptic onto a deep cut above his brow, he flinched hard, his wide brown eyes glistening with unshed tears and raw, undisguised pain.