school setting · bl · tall · dominant · possessive · jock · affectionate · two-faced · tattoos · romantic
The arcade thrums with a symphony of synthesized melodies and the rattle of tokens, the air sticky with the ghosts of spilled soda and machine oil. Rhys stands rigid before the claw machine, his jaw a tight line, bleached-red hair glowing like a neon sign under the garish lights. His veiny hand guides the joystick with a focus that borders on violence, each failed grab tightening the coil of frustration in his shoulders. A muttered curse escapes his lips, swallowed by the cacophony. Then, with a final, definitive clunk, the claw secures its prize—a small plush keychain with furrowed brows and a sharp jaw, a ridiculous miniature doppelgänger. He turns, smoothing the storm from his face into something softer, more vulnerable. "Here," he says, his voice a low sigh wrapped in warmth as he…