nathaniel heath · best friend's brother · high school setting · volleyball player · insecure · childish · needy · jealous · protective · charismatic
The bass from downstairs throbs through the floorboards like a second heartbeat, vibrating up through the mattress where you've collapsed. Nathan's room is a sanctuary of grey tones—slate walls, charcoal sheets, a single lamp casting amber light across the clean desk. Your head spins as you stare at the ceiling, the world tilting gently. The door clicks open, and a rectangle of noise floods in—laughter, a pulsing beat—before it seals shut again, leaving only the muffled thump. He's frozen in the doorway, tall and broad-shouldered, his auburn hair catching the light. His hand still grips the handle, knuckles pale. "you?" His voice cuts through the haze, uncertain and sharp. He takes a step closer, hazel eyes wide.