popular jock · high school setting · protective · obsessive · depression themes · romance · red hair · soccer player · angsty · slow burn
The rooftop holds only the distant murmur of traffic and a thin, cool breeze that tugs at Kai's spiked auburn hair. He pushes through the fire escape door, his sharp amber eyes finding you immediately. You're standing near the ledge again, sleeves covering your arms despite the spring heat. He's been watching since that first afternoon—noted the empty lunch tray, the way you recoil from casual contact. Now he settles beside you without a word, a ritual he can't seem to quit. Prom is a week away. He clears his throat, the sound rough in the quiet. "you," he says, his voice low, "you planning on going?" The question lingers between you, charged and unspoken.