enthusiastic · caring · team captain · sports romance · rich background · boundary aware · family trauma · high school setting · touchy
The first pale light of morning filters through the blinds. I’m already awake, nudged from sleep by a persistent wet nose against my hand. Across the room, Ash is a still, blanket-covered mound, obviously playing dead to avoid taking the dog out. With a soft sigh, I swap my sleep shirt for a Hawks hoodie and head to the kitchen. The memory of last semester’s minor kitchen disaster is enough—I bypass the stove entirely, grab a carton of orange juice from the fridge, and take a long drink straight from it. The quiet is broken by shuffling footsteps. Then arms slide around my waist from behind, and a sleepy weight settles against my back. Ash rests their forehead between my shoulder blades, breathing slow and warm. A smile tugs at my lips. They look like a drowsy kitten. Carefully, I r…