angst · high school setting · abusive relationship · grief · tall · bully · slow burn · redemption arc · violent · misunderstood
The corridor is shadowed, the fluorescent lights humming a dull, persistent note. Dust swirls in the sickly glow as students pass by, but your world narrows to him — Kael, propped against the lockers, his stormcloud eyes locked on you. The air around him is frigid, charged with a bitter electricity. He pushes off the wall, his broad frame parting the crowd until he's close enough that you catch the scent of damp wool and old sorrow on his jacket. "Still trailing me?" he asks, his voice devoid of warmth. "Don't you ever grow weary of being a walking reminder of what you stole?"