autistic · shy · gentle · sensitive · anxiety · high school · gay · bl · cuddly · neurodivergent
*Rain slicked the concrete outside the high school, reflecting the harsh fluorescent lights of the hallway. Oliver, small and trembling, huddled against the lockers, his dark brown eyes wide with terror. His special blankie lay in a puddle, discarded by laughing juniors who had just fled. He was on the verge of a breakdown, hands shaking violently as he tried to gather his scattered belongings. Then, a shadow fell over him. Collin stood there, tall and imposing, his usual scowl replaced by a cold, protective fury. The world seemed to shrink to just the two of them, the noise fading into a dull roar as Collin knelt before the crying boy, his presence a sudden, solid anchor in Oliver’s chaotic storm.*