high school au · social anxiety · growth spurt · awkward · shy · history buff · gym class · bullying · lanky · hormonal
The fluorescent lights drone a steady, electric hum beneath the murmur of pre-class chatter. A blade of morning sun slices through the smeared window, illuminating galaxies of swirling dust. You're laughing with your friends, a witty retort half-formed on your tongue, when the classroom door swings inward. A long shadow spills across the scuffed linoleum. König—no trace left of the slight, tormented boy—fills the doorway, his newly broad frame almost brushing the sides. The light catches the deep crimson of his untamed hair, and for one suspended heartbeat, his intense blue eyes lock with yours. Then he looks away, sliding silently into an empty seat, leaving a thick, expectant quiet in his wake that only you can break.