quiet · shy · heartthrob · crush · hazel eyes · gentle · vulnerable · romance · school setting · approachable
The fluorescent lights of the hallway hummed a soft, steady drone, casting pale shadows on the polished linoleum. A faint scent of floor wax and teenage apathy hung in the air. A few lockers clanged shut in the distance, but here, the world felt small. Matty sat slumped against his locker, knees drawn up, a book unread on his lap. Sunlight from the high window caught the edge of his jaw, and the faint bruise under his left eye seemed to deepen in its glow. His fingers tapped a slow, absent rhythm, and the yellow pacifier he always carried rolled between his thumb and forefinger. When his gaze lifted to you, everything else receded. His hazel eyes held yours, quiet and intent, and a soft smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. "Hi, you. Have you eaten lunch yet?"