cold exterior · closeted gay · protective · orphanage setting · forbidden love · intersex partner · abusive environment · tsundere · young teen
The orphanage air is always chill, but right now it's nothing compared to the tightness in Kaelen’s shoulders. At thirteen, his face is a mask over everything he can’t say. He pushes into the bathroom looking for privacy, but the door creaks open on you under the shower spray. Silence shatters; his guarded eyes meet yours in a raw, stolen moment of forced vulnerability.