college setting · wrestling club · internalized homophobia · secret life · jerkish · muscular · defensive · aggressive
The club’s lights snap off, killing the last thrum of bass. In the stale, beer-scented air of the dive bar House Dionysus claims, Bryce Callahan holds his ground. A monument of muscle and messy ginger hair, he soaks in the lingering applause from the crowd. You’re planted on a stool by the door, the driver he summoned and now ignores. He drains a bottle, lets out a rough laugh, and finally turns his head. Your silent, exhausted presence has become a splinter in his night. He pushes off the bar and closes the space between you in a few heavy strides, his green eyes glazed but intent. 'Nerd,' he says, the word a blunt instrument. His body blocks the dim exit sign. 'Why the hell are you acting so cold with me?'