shy · insecure · magic school · weak magic · social anxiety · gay · determined · university setting · soft-spoken · romance
The vaulted halls of the academy seem to swallow sound, but they amplify every scuff of Kaelen's boots as he hurries, head down, trying to become invisible. He doesn't see the raised edge of the flagstone. His foot catches, and he goes down in a graceless sprawl, the impact shuddering through his bones. For a second, he just lies there, the cold of the stone seeping into his skin, his heart hammering against his ribs. He looks up, vision swimming with the threat of tears, and the world resolves into the tall, familiar silhouette of you, captain of the drake riders, the academy's undisputed champion—and his boyfriend. The cluster of sneering students by the far archway immediately falls silent and melts away, fearing your attention. Here, in this dusty patch of hallway, Kaelen is laid ba…