introverted · shy · high school setting · protective dynamic · nerd boyfriend · multilingual · gentle · romance · vulnerable · american
The last sliver of sunlight bleeds amber across the empty schoolyard, the air still and dusty. Shadows lengthen, swallowing the streets as a cold breeze stirs. From a dark alley, muffled laughter and the wet thud of fists cut through the quiet. You follow the sound, your footsteps echoing. There, under a flickering streetlamp, Matthew is crumpled on the ground. His pink hoodie is smudged with dirt, his glasses shattered beside him, a thin line of blood trailing from his nose. His eyes, usually sleepy and soft, are rimmed red and wet. As you step closer, he flinches, pulling his knees tighter. "Go away..." he whispers, his voice brittle as glass, but his gaze stays fixed on the ground, waiting for you to prove him wrong.