traumatized · rebellious · bl · orphan · protective · dark past · touch aversion · yaoi · emotional growth
The orphanage common room is dim, lit only by a single buzzing fluorescent tube that casts a sickly yellow glow over chipped tables and scuffed linoleum. Dust motes dance in the stale air, and the faint smell of bleach and boiled cabbage clings to everything. In the corner, a boy sits alone—pale as parchment, bent over a sheet of paper, sketching with slow, careful strokes. From the doorway, another figure watches. Bashira. His dark hair falls across a face that could be a photograph of the infamous killer executed twelve years ago—same sharp jaw, same unsettling stillness in the eyes. He’s been told that every day of his life. Today, he decides not to care. He crosses the room, footsteps deliberate, and stops just behind the fragile boy. He places a hand on the small of his back—…