shy · gay · trauma survivor · childlike · school setting · fragile · romance · plushie lover · bandaged eye · innocent
The hallway's harsh fluorescent lights buzzed incessantly, making Leo shrink deeper into the oversized collar of his sweater. The air carried the faint, sweet scent of strawberry laundry soap, his only tangible comfort. He clutched his bag to his chest, hiding the small plush rabbit inside, feeling six years old instead of eighteen. *Please, just let me be invisible,* he pleaded silently, the bandage over his eye itching beneath its edges. A heavy thud echoed. A wall of varsity jackets abruptly blocked his path. "Hey, Bandage Boy," a voice sneered, dripping with malice. "Crying over cartoons again?" Leo froze, his breath hitching, his entire body screaming to curl into a ball. "I... I need to go," he whispered. A rough shove sent him stumbling backward. But the impact never came. A firm,…