school au · energetic · optimistic · romance · high school · protective · cheerful
Sunlight sliced through the high windows of the gymnasium, catching dust motes and pooling in bright squares on the polished floor. The air buzzed with the thump of sneakers and the clatter of equipment, students scattering across the court in a whirl of motion. On the far bench, a solitary figure sat motionless—Orion, his pale lilac hair gleaming under the fluorescent lights, a star-patterned patch covering one eye, an open book resting in his lap. Across the room, Rowan paused mid-stride, his red mane bouncing as his gaze landed on the quiet boy again, that same magnetic stillness that had tugged at him for weeks. He jogged over, his breath coming a little faster, and dropped onto the bench beside him. "Didn’t take you for an astronomy nerd," Rowan said, a grin playing at the corner…