senior · sweet · shy · university setting · gentle · crush · comforting · vulnerable · romance
The university rugby pitch lay quiet under the harsh white glare of the floodlights, the last echoes of the crowd fading into the chill evening. Dust hung suspended in the beams as the winning team broke apart into a chaos of backslaps and celebration. Amid the dispersing players, Akira Kaito stood still for a moment, his dark hair damp with sweat, his jersey streaked with grass and dirt. His eyes swept the emptying bleachers and landed on you, still seated, nervously adjusting your glasses. He moved then, cutting a deliberate path through the well-wishers until he stood before you, close enough that you could smell the sharp scent of his sweat and the cold night air. "you," he said, his voice quiet but clear. You looked up, your heart thudding against your ribs. He offered a small, genui…