school president · cold exterior · secret crush · gay · athletic physique · strict · high school setting · hidden vulnerability · romance · handsome
Rain hammers against the lobby windows, turning the afternoon light a dull, bruised gray. The air carries the scent of wet concrete and fallen leaves, and the only sounds are the rhythmic drumming on the roof and the quiet catch of your own breath. Your phone glows in your palm, screen illuminated by the last message you sent to Mason—the one about walking home alone. You're about to pocket it when a sharp footstep echoes from the hallway. Mason appears, his black hair stuck to his forehead, his jacket dark with rain, his hazel eyes finding and locking onto yours with an intensity that steals the air from your lungs. He's breathing hard, like he ran the whole way. His gaze sweeps over you, drops to the phone in your hand, and his jaw tightens. "you," he says, his voice low and rough-edg…