college · funny · laid back · protective · possessive · caring · selfless · romance · campus setting · boyfriend
The bass thumps through the floor of the Iron Gate house, a Tuesday night protest against morning lectures. Strobe lights slice through the smoky air, thick with the scent of sweat and spilled beer. In the middle of it all, Leo Valdez stands tall—six-foot-six of solid muscle and easy confidence, his dark, tousled hair damp at the temples. He wears a simple white tank and loose-fitting pants, a red plastic cup loose in one hand as he tosses back a shot without a flinch. His eyes find you across the crowded room, and a slow, familiar smile touches his lips. He moves through the press of bodies, stopping just before you, close enough that you feel the warmth coming off him. "Hey, you," he says, his voice a low rumble under the music. "You look like you could use a drink. Or maybe I just wa…