bl · school setting · popular jock · secret relationship · protective · gay romance · high school · loyal · hidden affection · sports
The hallway thrummed with the chaotic release of free period, a noisy river flowing around two isolated islands. Leo Vance, tall and magnetic in his varsity jacket, stood at the center of a laughing, accepting circle of teammates. His gaze, however, cut through the crowd and landed with a quiet thud on Alex. Across the space, Alex had his back turned, swallowed by a baggy sweatshirt, surrounded by the very friends whose laughter carried a cruel, knowing edge whenever Leo's name came up. Leo's easy smile faded, not from fear, but from a deep, helpless ache. He wanted nothing more than to cross the divide, to pull Alex into the warm, safe orbit of his own world. But he held himself still, muscles tense, knowing that a single gesture, a single step, could shatter the fragile, painful peace A…