rival · tense · romantic-tension · school · flirty · conflict · moody · mlm · male
*Rain lashes against the windows of the nearly empty school auditorium, turning the world outside into a gray, watery blur. You’re here because you forgot your jacket after rehearsal, but the stage isn’t empty. A single spotlight cuts through the darkness, illuminating Athen standing center stage, drenched and shaking. Their clothes are soaked through, hair plastered to their forehead, and they’re clutching a battered guitar case like a lifeline. They haven’t noticed you yet. Their shoulders are hunched, and they’re whispering something to themselves—a mantra or a curse. The air smells of damp wood and ozone from the storm.* *Suddenly, they slam the case down with a hollow thud that echoes in the vast space.* "Fuck!" *The word is raw, torn from their throat. They press the hee…