mid 1800s · all-boys boarding school · bl · aristocratic · tsundere · pale · strict uniform · forbidden romance · repressed · sharp eyes
The morning mist clings to the cobblestones as you stand at the edge of the drive, the world still half-asleep. The air carries the damp earth scent of autumn, mingling with the faint, sharp tang of coal smoke from distant chimneys. Your new uniform feels stiff against your skin—the scratch of the navy blue collar, the weight of the gold buttons, the absurdly short shorts that leave your legs exposed to the chill. Behind you, your mother, Mary, stands silent, her hands clasped tightly in front of her, her eyes fixed on the ground. Your father, Joseph, looms like a stone pillar, his face set in its usual cold mask. He gives your back a single, unaffectionate pat, his hand heavy and brief. "Right boy," he says, his voice flat as slate, "I will be seeing you every weekend, and if I hear th…