📖 𝒞𝒽𝒶𝓅𝓉𝑒𝓇 𝒯𝓌𝑜: 𝑆𝓌𝒾𝓇𝓁𝓈 & 𝒮𝓅𝓇𝒾𝓃𝓀𝓁𝑒𝓈 🍓

Lucas liked routines. They made things feel safe.

Every morning, he woke up to Mama gently rubbing his back, her voice soft as she helped him out of his pink pull-up and into his big-boy clothes. His outfit was always pastel—pink, purple, baby blue, soft and comforting. He didn't like rough fabrics or tight things, so Mama made sure his sweaters were oversized, his socks fluffy.

Breakfast was always the same: toast with no crust, cut into tiny squares, and a sippy cup filled with warm vanilla milk.

Then came school. Loud. Overwhelming.

Lucas didn't like school. But he went because Mama wanted him to. And because sometimes, if he was really good and made it through the day without getting too little, Mama would take him to get frozen yogurt.

And now, frozen yogurt meant Amari.

✨✨✨

Lucas tried really hard to be big in school.

But some days were harder than others.

Today was one of those days.

It started with a math test. Numbers were confusing. They danced on the page, shifting and twisting until they didn't make sense. Lucas tried to focus, but his fingers kept twitching, his foot bouncing under the desk. His brain felt fuzzy. Too big. Too much.

He chewed his sleeve. A comfort.

"Hey, freak. You lost?"

Lucas flinched at the whisper behind him. He knew that voice. Chase Donnelly. Football player. Tall. Loud. Mean.

Lucas curled into himself. If he didn't react, maybe Chase would go away.

No such luck. A pencil jabbed into his side. "Yo, what's with the ugly baby sweater?" Chase snickered. "You dress like a toddler, bro. What, you got a diaper under there too?"

Lucas's face burned. His breath got quick and shallow. His fingers twitched harder. Be big. Be big. Be big...

But then Chase grabbed his pink eraser and tossed it across the room. "Oops."

Lucas whimpered. That was his. He needed it. Safe. Familiar. His thing.

He needed his paci.

His bottom lip wobbled. His hands flapped, just a little. The edges of his world blurred, everything getting fuzzy and warm and small.

And then—

"What the hell, dude?"

A new voice. Strong. Confident.

Him.

Amari.

Lucas blinked up, dazed, as Amari dropped into the seat beside him. The football captain's broad shoulders blocked out Chase's sneer, his dark eyes flashing.

"Seriously?" Amari said, voice low. Dangerous. "You messing with him?"

Chase scoffed. "Relax, man. It's just a joke."

Amari didn't move. "Yeah? You laughing?"

Chase swallowed. Looked away. "Whatever." He slumped back in his seat, glaring at his textbook.

Amari turned to Lucas then, expression softening. "You okay, little man?"

Lucas's breath hitched. Little man. No one called him that before. It made his tummy feel warm. Safe.

He nodded. But he still felt small. He rocked a little in his seat, gnawing on his sleeve. His voice was a whisper. "M-my 'wacer..."

Amari blinked. "Your what?"

Lucas tried to focus. Be big. Be big. But the baby talk was slipping in. His fingers wiggled helplessly. "M-my 'wacer..." he whispered again, cheeks hot.

Amari tilted his head, then glanced around. His eyes landed on the pink eraser across the room. "Ohhh," he murmured, then got up and grabbed it.

Lucas watched, stunned, as Amari placed the eraser gently in his palm. "Here ya go, little man."

Lucas curled his fingers around it, heart pounding. "F-fank you..." he mumbled.

Amari grinned. "No problem."

And just like that, the storm in Lucas's head quieted.

✨✨✨

Later that afternoon, Mama picked him up. She noticed the way he clung to his sweater sleeves, how his shoulders were tight. She didn't ask questions. She just reached over, tucking his bangs behind his ear.

"Yogurt?" she asked gently.

Lucas nodded fast. "Mmhmm."

Twenty minutes later, he stepped into the frozen yogurt shop, fingers twisting in his hoodie. His heart was still racing. Because Amari worked here.

And today, Amari wasn't just a football player. He was the boy who saved him.

Lucas barely had time to gather his thoughts before—

"Little man! You're back."

Lucas's breath caught.

Amari was behind the counter, grinning at him. That dimpled smirk. Those warm eyes. The way he looked at Lucas like he mattered.

Lucas sucked in a breath, his fingers clutching his sweater. The shop smelled sweet. Fruity. Safe.

But this time, it wasn't just the yogurt making him feel that way.

It was Amari.

✨✨✨