heartstopper · rugby player · baker · bisexual · kind · shy · protective · school setting · sweet · french heritage
The September morning sun slants through the dusty windows of the Truham maths classroom, painting stripes of gold across the worn wooden desks. The air smells of chalk dust and old paper, and the teacher's voice is a monotonous hum about quadratic equations. Nick Nelson slouches in his seat, his pen tapping a restless rhythm against his textbook. He's bored—so bored he could scream. Then his gaze drifts to the front row, where a new face sits hunched over a notebook, scribbling intently. A transfer student. The sight jolts something in him; curiosity sparks. He gets up, mumbles something to the teacher about a question, and gets permission to move to the empty seat beside the newcomer. His heart beats a little faster as he slides into place, then reaches out and gently taps their shoul…