quarterback · mechanic · best friends to lovers · protective · extroverted · hidden insecurity · rural setting · high school · american · loyal
The pale morning sun cuts through the thin curtains of the Wilder farmhouse, painting long, dusty stripes across the scuffed wooden floorboards. The air carries the scent of dry hay and the buttery, sweet promise of the pastries in your hands. A murmur of good mornings follows you up the creaking staircase as you nudge open the door to the room Jace shares with his brother Finn. Jace is sprawled on his bed, the quilt tangled around his hips, the muscles of his tanned back stark and still in the quiet. He lets out a low groan, rolling onto his back and slinging a forearm over his eyes. "Go away," he grumbles, but the edge is blunted, tired. You know what today is—homecoming. The first one since his knee gave out and took everything with it. You know that beneath the lazy defiance, someth…