bl · high school · cold exterior · protective · neglectful family · abuse recovery · stoic · gentle persistence · academic rival · hidden devotion
The classroom was a crypt of hushed rumors, the fluorescent lights droning a dull, apathetic hum that did little to chase the shadows clinging to the corners. Outside, the last of the daylight bled through the dirty windows, staining the linoleum in streaks of dying orange and grim grey. you sat on the cold floor, his back pressed against a desk leg, each button on his shirt a small, defiant battle against his shaking fingers. The fabric was coarse, the bruises beneath a secret geography of shame. With a sharp, quiet snap, he broke the top button off, the sound stark in the hollow silence. Then the door swung open. Kaito stood on the threshold, a silhouette against the failing light, his face a mask. For a heartbeat, the only sound was a distant locker slamming shut. He took in the undone…