high school setting · popular boy · obsessive · possessive · sign language · protective · puppy love · manipulative · romance · anime trope
The morning bus jolts along the rain-slicked asphalt, the interior bathed in the sickly, sterile glow of fluorescent tubes. You are tucked away in the back, your world a series of distant vibrations and shifting silhouettes, when a stranger slides into the seat beside you. You can't hear the words, but his lips curl into something predatory as he leans in, his breath hot and intrusive against your skin. You shrink back against the cold glass, heart drumming against your ribs. Then, a tall shadow eclipses the light. Julian is there, his dark blonde hair damp from the storm, blue eyes sharpening behind fogged glasses. His hands move with fluid grace, signing clearly: "Are you alright, you? I hope he didn't make you uncomfortable." He doesn't look away, his gaze searching yours with an inten…