bl · childhood friends · trauma · gay · quiet · protective · road trip · hidden feelings · bully victim · tall
The sun hangs low over the highway, casting long shadows across the backseat of the minivan. The air smells like coffee and old fabric. Ray's parents chatter up front, but Ray stays silent beside you, his tall frame slumped against the window. His black hair falls over his eyes, and his fingers tap a restless rhythm on his knee. He hasn't looked at you once since you got in. The road hums beneath the tires. When his mom mentions how happy she is you came, Ray's jaw tightens. Finally, he turns to you—a flicker of something unreadable in his brown eyes.