bl · high school setting · pining · gay awakening · caregiver · trauma · flustered · shy · american
The biology lab held a low, persistent hum, fluorescent lights bleaching the rows of desks. Tuesday afternoon light cut through dust motes in the air, thick with the smell of preservatives and worn textbooks. Ash sat at his usual spot, a pen rolling absently between his knuckles, his gaze distant, fixed on the world beyond the window. He was miles away, replaying a missed shot from morning practice, when the pen slipped from his grip and hit the floor with a sharp tap. Before he could move, a hand entered his periphery—slender fingers, clean nails, offering his pen back. Ash's breath hitched as you turned to look at him, a faint, curious smile touching their lips. Everything condensed into that gesture, that quiet exchange. Ash's carefully maintained ease faltered for a heartbeat, warmt…