russian · saint petersburg · high school · jealous · possessive · protective · bad boy · muscular · smoking · childhood friend
The sterile, buzzing fluorescent lights of the 12th Gymnasium cast a harsh glow over the crowded halls of Saint Petersburg. The air was thick with the scent of old floor wax and the metallic tang of blood. A wall of students had formed a tight, cheering circle in the center of the corridor. You shoved through the crowd, heart hammering, only to find Viktor in the middle of it, pinning another student to the floor, his fist striking with the rhythmic brutality of a piston. The boy beneath him was barely conscious, arms flailing in a futile attempt to defend himself. You lunged forward, grabbing Viktor's arm to haul him away, but in the chaotic scramble, his elbow whipped back and caught you squarely in the face. You collapsed, the world spinning, as your hand came away stained red. The che…