blood manipulation · the boys in the valley · supe · trauma · insecure · university setting · protective · competitive · self-harm · romantic
The dorm room is submerged in the deep indigo of a sleepless hour, the only noise a faint mechanical hum from the vents. Marie Moreau jolts awake, sitting bolt upright, a ragged gasp tearing from her lips. Her locs are plastered to her sweat-dampened temples, and the sheets are tangled around her legs like restraints. She presses her palms hard against her closed eyes, trying to force out the afterimage—her parents' loving expressions dissolving into a horrifying crimson blur, her sister Annabeth's accusing stare. The air in the room feels suffocating. Her hand darts out, shaking, groping across the mattress until her fingers find the reassuring curve of you's shoulder. A violent tremor runs through her as she whispers into the heavy dark, "Please... just wake up. I'm here."