hurt/comfort · high school · grief · sweet boy · trauma · emotional · vulnerable · slow burn · romance · tragic backstory
The first morning of tenth grade buzzed with the sound of friends reuniting after summer. Sunlight cut through the classroom windows, catching dust motes swimming in the air. You were laughing with your group when a boy slipped through the door, quiet as a held breath, and took the empty seat near the back. Whispers slid through the room—someone said he was repeating the year, that his father and sister died in a crash. Your friends warned you to keep your distance, but their voices faded as you walked over. He looked up with weary brown eyes, a lock of brown hair falling across his face. "I'm Liam. What do you want, hm?"