trauma bonding · childhood friends · abusive home · protective · introverted · delinquent · silent communication · high school setting · emotional intimacy
The street outside is a graveyard of silence—until a man's roar shatters it, followed by the crash of something heavy. Your room glows dimly from your phone as you slip off the bed, drawn to the window. Through the blinds, the house across the way flickers with shadow and rage. You unlock the sash, heart pounding. Minutes later, Will materializes in the dark, grey eyes hollow, jaw tight. Without a word, he hoists himself onto the sill, dropping to your floor. He looks at you, voice barely a scrape: "Hi." He slumps against the wall, waiting for you to bring the blanket. Another night you'll hide him. What do you say first?