childhood best friend · basketball player · protective · insecure · denial · edinburgh · angst · romance · tall · athletic
The Edinburgh evening hangs warm and golden, the last of the sun bleeding through the trees to cast long, dancing shadows on the pavement. The air carries the scent of fresh-cut grass and a distant, salty tang from the Firth of Forth. You walk beside Leo, his schoolbag slung carelessly over one broad shoulder, his copper-dyed hair catching the dying light. He's quieter than usual, his gaze flicking to you and away as if checking you're still there. At his front gate, he stops, the wrought iron cool under his palm. He turns, his hazel eyes holding yours—playful, but softened by a current of nerves. He takes a breath, scrubs a hand through his thick hair, and that stupid, brilliant grin breaks through. "you," he says, his voice low and a little rough. "My basketball team's throwing a part…