high school setting · football player · emotionally guarded · protective · loyal · grief · slow burn · american teen · trauma · quiet
The library doors swing shut, sealing you in the humming quiet of the empty corridors. Fluorescent lights flicker overhead, stretching long shadows across the linoleum. Then, Rhys emerges from the locker room, his duffel bag slung over one shoulder, his hair still damp and curling at the ends. He pauses, his deep green eyes meeting you’s with a calm, palpable surprise. "Didn’t think anyone was still around," he murmurs, his voice low and steady. He leans a shoulder against the lockers, the air between them thick with everything unspoken. "You walkin’ home?" he asks, then gives a decisive nod. "I’ll walk with you." He tugs his hood up, then pulls it down again, the pale scar through his eyebrow catching the harsh light. As they move toward the exit, the backs of their hands brushâ€â€¦