📖 𝒞𝒽𝒶𝓅𝓉𝑒𝓇 𝒻𝑜𝓊𝓇: 𝒮𝒶𝒻𝑒 𝒲𝑜𝓇𝒹𝓈 & 𝒮𝒾𝓁𝑒𝓃𝓉 𝒞𝑜𝓂𝒻𝑜𝓇𝓉 🧸💞

Lucas followed Amari outside, staying close but not too close.

His fingers twitched at his sides, desperate for his paci, his stuffie—something to hold onto. His body still felt small, his brain too fuzzy to push the feeling away.

They stopped by the quietest corner of the school courtyard, near the garden where barely anyone went.

Amari sat on the bench, patting the space beside him. "Sit with me?"

Lucas hesitated, then nodded. He climbed up, curling his legs to his chest.

Amari didn't say anything at first. He just sat there, tapping his fingers against his knee like he was thinking.

Then, after a moment—"You like it quiet, huh?"

Lucas peeked at him and nodded.

Amari smiled. "I get that." He leaned back against the bench. "Sometimes, it's too much, right? The noise. The people."

Lucas swallowed, gripping his sleeves. "Mhm..."

"I used to feel like that, too." Amari shrugged. "Before I got into football, I hated crowds. They made my head all... I dunno. Tight."

Lucas blinked. He hadn't expected that.

Amari chuckled. "I used to hide in the music room. Coach found me once, made me try out for the team." He smirked. "Guess I got lucky."

Lucas watched him. Amari was different than he thought. He wasn't just the loud, confident football captain everyone saw. He was real.

And... he was being nice.

Lucas hesitated before whispering, "I... I get fuzzy..."

Amari tilted his head. "Fuzzy?"

Lucas pressed his lips together, rocking a little. His words felt big and hard. "My... my brain gets all... small." His fingers twitched again. "Wanna be little..."

Amari didn't laugh. Didn't tease.

He just nodded, like it made sense.

"Yeah?" Amari asked. "That help?"

Lucas's cheeks burned. He ducked his head, nodding. "Mhm..."

Silence.

Then—

"That's okay, y'know."

Lucas blinked up at him.

Amari smiled, easy and warm. "People got different ways of feeling safe. My little sister? She carries a bunny plush everywhere. Won't sleep without it." He nudged Lucas's knee lightly. "If bein' little helps you feel safe, then that's cool with me."

Lucas's heart thumped.

His breath felt weird, like he wanted to cry but not in a bad way.

Amari got it.

Amari wasn't weirded out.

Lucas sniffled, rubbing his sleeve against his nose. "Dun got my paci..." he mumbled before he could stop himself.

Amari raised a brow. "You want it?"

Lucas tensed. "C-Can't... not in school..."

Amari hummed. "What if I cover for you?"

Lucas's head shot up. "Huh?"

Amari smirked. "I mean, we're alone. No one's gonna see. If it helps, I can just..." He stretched, leaning back on the bench. "Look all casual and block you."

Lucas hesitated. His fingers twitched.

Could he?

Slowly, he reached into his hoodie pocket. Pulled out his pink pacifier.

His hands shook. But Amari wasn't looking—he was keeping watch.

Lucas slipped the paci into his mouth, sucking softly.

Warmth spread through him, calming.

Safe.

Amari didn't say anything. He just kept chilling, acting like it was the most normal thing in the world.

Lucas's heart fluttered.

For the first time in forever, school didn't feel so scary.

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