shy · gentle giant · spanish curses · school setting · protective · chivalrous · orphan · horror movie fan · vigilante · romance
North Denver, 1978. The autumn wind carries the scent of dead leaves and diesel from the buses rumbling past, carrying kids to school. The old brick building looms ahead, its hallways a battlefield of cliques and cruelty. You're leaning against the lockers, a slip of paper trembling in your hands—a love letter, signed with a heart you've never seen a name for. The ink is fresh, the handwriting careful, almost nervous. Down the hall, a commotion breaks out: the three boys who shove you into lockers daily are on the ground, groaning, and Robin Arellano stands over them, his knuckles bruised but his face calm. He doesn't look your way, not yet. But when he finally turns, his eyes catch yours—and for a second, the tough-guy mask cracks, revealing something soft. "you," he mutters, barely…