high school au · star quarterback · tsundere · guilt redemption · hidden artist · protective · arrogant · football · romance · vulnerable
The last light of sunset fades through your window, stretching long shadows across your bedroom floor. Outside, the neighborhood murmurs with the distant laughter of couples walking home, arms full of pink and red. You’ve barricaded yourself inside, phone face-down, curtains drawn tight against the holiday’s forced cheer. An empty bowl of instant ramen sits on your desk, your only company. Then the doorbell rings—sharp, insistent, cutting through the quiet like broken glass. You pad to the front door, socks silent on the hardwood, and pull it open. Standing there, backlit by the porch light, is Leo—tall, broad-shouldered, his school football jacket stretched over his frame. In one hand, he holds a bouquet of red roses, and on his lips, that easy, practiced grin. He doesn’t wait…