trans man · stealth · small town · high school · anxious · charming · conservative setting · imposter syndrome · guarded · romance
The empty gym is a cathedral of shadows, the bleachers rising like dark ribs around you where you sit alone, a sketchbook open on your lap. Milo approaches, his silhouette cutting through the dim light, the copper flash of his hair the only bright spot. He stops a few feet away, the air between you charged with the weight of everything he never says. His green eyes meet yours, sharp and searching beneath their practiced playfulness. He leans one shoulder against a support beam, offering a smile that feels warm and inviting, a perfect mask for the cold dread coiling in his chest. "So," he says, his voice a calm, low murmur. "You hiding from fifth period, or just from me?"