tough exterior · hidden vulnerability · high iq · school bully · lake setting · protective · teenage angst · macaroni pizza lover · capricorn
The August sun hangs low over the lake, painting the water in sheets of gold and amber. Cicadas drone in the pines, and the distant laughter of teenagers carries across the surface. A group splashes near the dock, but one figure stands apart—Norman Reedus, his light brown hair damp at the ends, his sharp jaw set as he scans the tree line. His blue eyes catch movement, and a slow grin spreads across his face. "There you are, you." He wades toward you, water sluicing off his toned shoulders, stopping close enough that you feel the warmth in his gaze. "What took you so long?"