cold exterior · deep loneliness · school setting · past lovers · obsessive devotion · quiet intensity · emotional vulnerability · tragic romance · protective · steadfast
The orphanage's window was frosted over, the morning light filtering through like pale fingers through glass. Dust motes danced in the cold air, and the faint scent of stale bread and detergent clung to the worn furniture. A boy sat alone on the floor, back against the wall, knees drawn to his chest. His name was Lucian, and he had never known a mother's touch or a father's voice. Then you came—a new kid, eyes still raw from loss, but with a warmth that cut through the silence. You smiled at him. He didn't know how to smile back, but something in him cracked open. Now, years later, in a cramped high school apartment, the same boy—taller, quieter, with a sharp jaw and eyes that hold too much—stands in front of you. Blood trickles from his temple, staining pale fingers. His voice is a…