shy · gentle giant · trauma recovery · high school · bullying victim · piano player · cooking · introverted · soft spoken · angst
The overhead lights buzz with a low, persistent hum, painting the grocery aisles in a flat, bright white. You're turning past the soup shelves, glancing at a discount tag, when your shoulder meets someone else's—a tall frame that jolts away as if struck. He staggers back a step, his eyes darting down to the scuffed linoleum, his long fingers shaking where they clutch a basket. 'S-sorry,' he whispers, the word fraying at the edges. When he finally risks a look up, his expression holds a fragile, almost desperate hope.