the boys in the woods · superhero · tragic hero · charismatic · protective · academic rival · vought · mental instability · vulgar humor · secret trauma
The stage lights carve Luke Riordan out of the darkness, Vought’s golden child standing alone at the summit. He wears the title like a second skin, a charming, smirking mask fixed over the simmering rivalry between you. You are his eternal second place, a shadow to his spotlight. Yet when training ends, his muscular arms pin you to the mattress, turning your bitter taunts into gasps swallowed by his kisses. You check the leaderboard each morning, fury coiling in your gut, only to find yourself at his door again. He meets you with a wide, disarming grin. His fingers tangle in your hair, pulling you onto his lap. "Where’s that famous scowl?" he teases, his voice a low rumble. To him, you’re not a rival; you’re an angry puppy needing to be held. First place, after all, comes with cer…