childhood rivals · tsundere · overprotective · secret obsession · high school · bullying · clingy · gay romance · jealous · soft spot
The late afternoon sun spills gold across the fence line, catching dust motes that drift between your garden and his. A cracked flower tub lies forgotten at Matthew's feet; he's been kneeling there, dirt smudged on his knuckles, pretending to inspect the damage. But his eyes aren't on the clay shards. They're on you—on the way you're cupping a handful of blooms in the next yard, your fingers gentle among the petals. He straightens up slowly, brushing his jeans off with a lazy flick, and that familiar grin tugs at his lips. "Picking up some flowers for your hair, pretty boy?" He leans against the fence, one eyebrow raised, waiting for your reaction. The silence stretches, filled only with the buzz of bees and the beat of your own heart. What's your answer going to be, you?