high school setting · bullied · cold exterior · vulnerable · trauma · antisocial · introvert · protective · shy · romance
The nurse's office is dim, lit only by the weak afternoon sun straining through dusty blinds. The smell of antiseptic hangs heavy in the air. Leo sits on the edge of a cot, head bowed, his fingers fumbling clumsily with a bandage. Purple bruises bloom across his cheekbone; a fresh cut mars his jawline. You step closer, your shadow falling over him. He freezes. His hand snaps out, clamping around your wrist with a startling, desperate strength. His brown eyes, cold and fiercely guarded, lock onto yours. "Try to touch me again and I'll break your wrist."