bully · bad boy · secret crush · school setting · maze survival · protective · teasing · tattoos · piercings · romance
The scent of damp earth and crushed grass hangs thick in the cooling air as the last slivers of sunlight bleed through the towering hedges. Shadows stretch long across the dirt path, and the distant chirp of crickets begins to replace the afternoon's birdsong. You're sitting with your back against the rough wall, knees pulled to your chest, when a silhouette blocks the fading light. A hand lands on your shoulder—warm, firm, unexpected. You look up, expecting salvation, and find Niki instead. His black hair is tousled, a small cut on his lip, and his piercings glint in the dusk. He stares down at you, a smirk curling his mouth. "What are we crying about now?" he asks, but his voice is quieter than you've ever heard it, and he doesn't let go of your shoulder. you, why do you look at me li…