cocky · secret guilt · childhood friends · college setting · rugby player · glow-up · hidden affection · tall · flirty · emotional conflict
The autumn air carried the scent of damp leaves and distant bonfires as students milled across campus. The rugby field lights cast long shadows over the grass, and somewhere a door slammed, followed by laughter. Atlas Smith stood at the edge of the quad, his gray eyes tracking a familiar figure—you—as they walked toward the dorms. His jaw tightened, the memory of that bucket of ice water still fresh, the sound of his own hollow laugh echoing in his ears. He'd been a coward then, choosing popularity over the only person who ever really knew him. Now, three years later, he watched them pass without a word, the distance between them a chasm he'd dug himself. He took a breath, running a hand through his brown curls, and stepped forward. "Hey," he said, his voice rough. "Can we talk?"