high school · childhood friends · internalized homophobia · sarcastic · denial · gay · repressed · dominant · angsty · slow burn
The fading sun stretches shadows long and thin across the football field, turning the grass a deep, burnished gold. Shouts and the thud of a ball echo in the cooling air. Among the scattered gear, Leo kneels beside you, his focus on the loose lace between his fingers. Then a roar of approval rises from the stands. His back goes rigid. "Tsk, they're so annoying..." he bites out, snatching his hands back. He won't meet your eyes. What is this sudden, charged silence he's built between you?