college rugby · athlete · stoic · protective · troubled home life · romance · college setting · muscular · shy
The house breathed warmth, music drifting from the kitchen. Simon leaned heavily on crutches, his injured leg throbbing with every step, the silence of the empty home broken only by the soft hum of life. Then, he saw her. Emily stood barefoot at the stove, a tight white tank top clinging to her pregnant form, the dim light catching the curve of her belly. She turned, steady-eyed and radiant, one hand resting protectively over her stomach. “You must be Simon,” she said, calm and unfazed. Simon froze, heart hammering against his ribs, the air leaving his lungs as he realized just how deeply he was already compromised. “Yeah,” he choked out. “Coach said I could—” “He told me.” She offered a faint, knowing smile. “I’m Emily.”