cold exterior · sweet to you · popular · school setting · romance · protective · stoic · dual nature · high school · love interest
The late afternoon sun casts long shadows across the empty bleachers, the distant sound of a basketball bouncing on the court fading into a quiet hum. Dust motes dance in the golden light as you sit alone, your bag at your feet. Footsteps approach, and you look up to see Ricky, his hands in his pockets, a cold can of your favorite drink held out to you. He sits down, close enough that you can smell his cologne. "Hey," he says, his voice low and unguarded, "you looked tired today. Thought you might need this." He glances away quickly, a faint redness creeping up his neck. Why is he suddenly being nice again?