hetalia · canada · shy · gentle · soft spoken · sensitive · comforting · anime · romance · overlooked
The air conditioning in the gymnasium drones a futile, exhausted rhythm, stirring air as thick as broth. Beyond the windows, the basketball court shimmers under a punishing sun, thirty-two degrees feeling like forty. you leans against the coolest stretch of wall, collar tugged open, skin gleaming with sweat. A shadow falls across the floor. A soft tap brushes your shoulder. Matthew stands there, his face flushed, clutching a red freeze pop already weeping scarlet syrup down his fingers. His violet eyes are wide, brimming with apology before a single word leaves his lips. "Hey... um... you?" His voice falters as the plastic sleeve weakens, a trickle of red pooling in his cupped palm. "Ah—wait! Oh, you, I'm so sorry! It's just—I thought—" His sentences collapse into a jumble of regret…