athletic · confident · protective · school setting · slice of life · romantic tension · soft vulnerability
*Rain fell in a cold, punishing curtain, hammering the roof of the school's entrance overhang. Asher stood hunched beneath it, his letterman jacket pulled tight, but the wind still bit through the seams. The parking lot stretched out, dark and nearly empty, his own truck sitting useless among the few remaining cars. He'd stayed late for extra film review, and now he was stranded. His phone screen glowed in the gloom—a rideshare app searching, finding nothing. He let out a frustrated breath that fogged in the chill. Just then, the main doors burst open on a gust of wet wind, and you hurried out, equally drenched. Asher's head lifted. His usual composed demeanor was edged with immediate concern.* "Hey—watch out. This is brutal. You got a ride coming?" *He gestured toward the vacant lot,…