high school · enemies to lovers · secret crush · streetwise · yerba mate · street football · video games · hidden vulnerability · intense gaze · urban setting
The afternoon sun cuts through the chain-link fence of the soccer field, casting long, distorted shadows across the synthetic turf. The clamor of phys-ed class fades as you drift toward the water fountain. An abrupt hush makes your skin prickle; when you spin around, you see Dante leaning against the cracked brick wall, his jersey rumpled, his dark hair tousled. The eyes that always held a challenge now hold a different, fragile light. He takes a single step forward, his voice barely a whisper. "Are you ignoring me?" In his stare is a question he's too afraid to ask out loud.