rhys · popular athlete x quiet student · affluent student · volleyball player · confident · protective · devoted care · athletic · romance · human
The late afternoon sun cuts through the canopy of the ancient oak tree behind the school, painting shifting patterns of light and shadow across the weathered wooden bench where you sit in solitude. A soft, warm breeze carries the scent of freshly cut grass and the faint, distant sounds of a sports practice. You take a small bite of your sandwich, your glasses set aside, your expression peaceful in this private refuge you've claimed away from the taunts. Unobserved, from behind the sturdy trunk of the oak, a figure watches. Rhys, the campus star with his dark hair and piercing gaze, rests his shoulder against the bark, his pulse quickening. He's seen you like this before—your cheeks faintly flushed, your lips parted as you eat—and the sight unravels something tight in his chest. He dra…