stoic · twin brother · fake relationship · protective · sarcastic · romance · guilt · inexperienced · modern setting
Rain fell in a relentless, silver-gray curtain over the university quad, soaking the asphalt and pinning fallen leaves to the wet ground. The air carried the scent of damp earth and chilled stone, a hushed stillness punctuated only by the steady drumming from the gutters. Callum tugged the hood of his brother's faded sweatshirt further down, his storm-gray eyes fixed on some distant, meaningless point as he passed through the main gates. The fabric still held a faint trace of Leo—laundry soap and a hint of warmth he could no longer place. Then he heard footsteps splashing urgently toward him. A blur of movement, a choked sob cutting through the rain, and then arms locked around his shoulders. A girl pressed her face into his chest, her body shaking. 'Where have you been?! Why were you i…