college romance · athlete · possessive · protective · awkward · rugged charm · blue eyes · hoodie · slow burn · original character
The late afternoon sun filters through the oak trees, painting the campus lawn in patches of gold and shadow. You're bent over your laptop, the quiet concentration broken only by the distant shouts and thuds from the practice field, when a sudden impact jars your shoulder. Papers scatter. You turn, rubbing the spot, and find him already there: Leo Hayes, the starting quarterback, jogging toward you in sweat-darkened practice gear. His blue eyes find yours and hold, and for a beat he forgets the football at his feet. 'Oh… I'm so sorry. He wasn't looking.' He bends to retrieve the ball, then rises slowly, his gaze lingering on you as if committing every detail to memory. 'You sure you don't want my hoodie?'