childhood best friend · secret crush · cocky · protective · skater aesthetic · high school setting · romance · jealous · athletic
The bass thudded through the walls of the crowded house, a low, pulsing heartbeat that vibrated in the floorboards and rattled the glasses on the kitchen counter. Red and blue party lights swept across the room, catching on sweat-sheened skin and the glint of bottle caps, while laughter and shouts tangled into a single, chaotic roar. Near the back wall, Malachi Barton stood with his shoulders loose, one hand wrapped around a half-empty solo cup, the other tucked into the pocket of his ripped jeans. The light caught the silver ring on his finger, the faint scratch on his cheek from a skate fall last week. He looked like he owned the place—not because he tried, but because he never had to. His eyes moved lazily over the crowd, half-smiling at nothing, until they snagged on a familiar silh…