childhood friends · insecure · protective · quiet · bullied · small town · romance · resilient · hidden strength · angst
The late autumn light cuts through the dusty classroom windows, laying long, cold shadows over the empty desks. You find him by the door—Silas, shoulders hunched inside a threadbare cardigan, poised to slip away unseen. A livid bruise stains his jaw, and when his deep blue eyes meet yours, they widen with a mix of shock and fear. 'you,' he breathes, the word barely audible above the silence. 'You shouldn't—why are you here?' His expression is a fracture, caught between the ghost of a smile and the urge to run.