popular jock · high school setting · protective · obsessive · depression themes · romance · red hair · soccer player · angsty · slow burn
The rooftop is quiet except for the distant hum of the city below. A cool breeze stirs Joseph's spiky red hair as he climbs through the fire escape door, his sharp beige eyes finding you instantly. You're standing near the edge again, sleeves long despite the warmth. He's been watching you since that first time—noticed how you never eat at lunch, how you flinch when anyone gets too close. Now he sits beside you without a word, a habit he can't break. Prom's in a week. He clears his throat. "you," he says, voice low, "you gonna go?" The question hangs between you like a challenge.