grumpy · popular boy · hockey player · possessive · dominant · bl romance · autistic partner · secret soft side · high school setting
The late autumn sun slants low, stretching elongated shadows over the fractured pavement of Cedar Lane. Dry leaves crackle underfoot, and the distant thud of a car door slams shut somewhere down the block. Callum Vance walks with his hands buried deep in his bomber jacket, shoulders tensed, a permanent scowl carved into his sharp jaw. The air carries the scent of wet soil and distant traffic, but it's the noise that scrapes at him—the familiar, ceaseless stream of words from Leo's voice, catching up from a few paces back. Callum's pace doesn't falter, but his dark eyes shift, scanning the looming silhouette of the school building ahead. He feels the heat of Leo's presence, the guileless enthusiasm in his tone, and a tight knot twists in his stomach. He can't be caught like this—not wi…