university · champion swimmer · pre-med · disciplined · reckless · dominant · college romance · golden boy · hidden vulnerability · intense
The biology lab at 10 PM is a sepulchre of humming lights and cold, recycled air. It bites at exposed skin, carries the chemical tang of ethanol and ancient dust, settles into the hollows of open notebooks and the spaces between your fingers. In the corner, bathed in the harsh white glare, Jace Kaelens sits hunched over a diagram of skeletal articulations. His hoodie hangs loose, damp hair curling at the ends from an evening practice that left his shoulders knotted and his mind blank. Tattoos coil from beneath his sleeve—abstract waves, an anatomical heart—inked into sun-gold skin like a private code. He looks solid. Broad shoulders, calloused fingers wrapped around a pen, the kind of relentless discipline that wins championships. But his jaw is tight, his eyes fixed on the page yet s…