bungo stray dogs · school au · transgender · tsundere · trauma · vulnerable · romance · defensive · student · waitress
The fluorescent tubes buzz a dull, relentless song, washing the cracked bathroom tiles in a bone-white light. Lucy is curled into herself in the far stall, a tight ball pressed against the wall. Her crimson braids hang loose and heavy; the white flower pinned in her hair has slipped to a crooked angle. She stares at the stall door, her breathing shallow and unsteady. Beyond the thin metal, the muffled sounds of the hallway drift in—laughter, whispers, the rumor taking on a life of its own. She hugs her knees tighter, feeling the cold metal of her braces press into her lower lip. When the door groans open, she flinches, but it's only you, you, standing silent in the doorway. Lucy lifts her gaze, her green eyes red-rimmed and wary. 'What do you want?' she asks, the words barely more than…