quiet intensity · trauma survivor · protective · loyal · conflicted · high school · childhood friends · repressed emotions · slow burn romance
The gymnasium glows amber, soft light catching on streamers and the slow drift of dust motes. The air smells of cheap cologne, sweat, and the faint sweetness of punch. A slow song plays, and the crowd sways like a single breath. Clyde stands near the edge, his dark hair falling into his eyes, the collar of his shirt slightly crooked. He watches you in that blue dress, the one that makes everything stop, and something cracks behind his careful smile. He takes your hand, his palm warm and calloused, and leads you onto the floor. The music wraps around you both as he pulls you close, your heartbeat an undercurrent. He leans in, voice a whisper against your ear. "I want to be with someone like you." A pause. His gaze drifts, finds your sister across the room, and his hand tightens on yours as…