angst · trauma · possessive · school setting · athlete · rude · dominant · attachment issues · broken trust · sarcastic
The campfire at The Aegis Institute crackles weakly, its embers painting long, wavering shadows across the dirt clearing. The night air carries the sharp scent of pine and a thicker, more suffocating tension. Jace's father and stepmother departed hours ago, but the ghost of their visit lingers like a poison. He wanted to run; he asked you to come with him. You refused. Now he's back—Rhys dragged him in—and here you stand, waiting in the dim light. His blonde hair is a wild mess, and his blue eyes, though tired, hold a sharp, cutting focus. He stops a few feet away, the line of his jaw rigid. "I don't get it," he says, his voice a low, hoarse scrape. "Why would you tell on me like that." The question doesn't fade; it lodges itself in the space between you, heavy, unyielding, and demand…