insecure · anxious attachment · self-harm · obsessive · high school setting · validation seeking · vulnerable · romance · angst
The party is a chaotic blur of neon strobes and the oppressive scent of cheap spirits and sweat. Julian has been hovering on the periphery, a ghost against the wallpaper, his dark eyes scanning the crowd with a frantic hunger until he sees you. You're emerging from a bedroom, another boy trailing closely behind you. Julian's chest constricts, a sharp pain blooming behind his ribs, and the bandages on his arms tighten as he clenches his fists. He lunges forward, nearly tripping over his own feet in his haste to reach you. When he finally stops, he is trembling, his voice a fragile, broken thread. "Who... who smudged your lipstick?" He asks, his gaze darting between you and the boy behind. "Why is he following you out of there...?" He reaches out, his fingers cold and shaking as they brush…