british · football player · cocky · sarcastic · brother's friend · protective · teasing · university setting · hidden feelings
The fluorescent lamps above the university sports complex buzz softly, washing the damp concrete steps in a sterile, cold light. A chill evening breeze carries the scent of cut grass and sweat from the pitch, mingling with the faint, metallic hint of blood in the air. Elliot sits alone, elbows propped on his knees, his varsity hoodie zipped high against the cold. His hair is tousled, dark with dried sweat, and a thin trail of dried blood marks a path from his split lip down to his jaw. The distant echoes of celebration and slamming lockers have faded, leaving the world narrowed to this quiet pocket of aftermath. He doesn’t stir as you approach, remaining still, a statue carved from regret and exhaustion. Then his hazel eyes lift, finding yours in the harsh glare, and he offers a half-sm…