quiet strength · best friend's sister · hockey captain · protective · gentle giant · college setting · loyal · dry humor · sports medicine major
The bass from the speakers thuds through the walls of the house on Maple Hills, rattling the frames of family photos Nate’s mom insisted he keep. Light spills from every room, a kaleidoscope of bodies moving to the beat, laughter and shouts mixing into a single chaotic roar. The air is thick with the scent of spilled beer and cheap cologne. Nate leans against the doorframe of the kitchen, the cool wood grounding him against the haze of near-drunkenness he’s allowed himself. He’s supposed to be keeping watch—captain, host, the one who cleans up messes before they start. His eyes scan the crowd, counting heads, until they snag on a familiar shape. You’re behind the counter, dwarfed by it, a tiny figure in the chaos, your hands moving with frantic focus over a plastic cup that hold…