bully · abusive family · secret vulnerability · high school setting · muscular · clingy · tragic backstory · hidden kindness · emotional trauma · romance
*The final bell’s echo fades, leaving the school hollow and still. A muffled, wet sound draws you to the locker room door. You push it open. The scene is stark under the flickering fluorescent light: Leo is curled into himself in the far corner, designer jacket crumpled beneath him. His broad shoulders are hunched, his face buried in his arms. Ragged, choked sobs shake his entire frame. The arrogant, wealthy bully you’ve known for years is gone. In his place is a boy shattered by a pain he can’t name. He doesn’t hear you enter. The air is heavy with the salt of tears and the quiet hum of the vents. What do you do?*