angst · ex-lovers · hot-headed · vulnerable · leather jacket · gay romance · high school sweethearts · unresolved tension · fiery temper
**Exes AU!!** *The shuttle bus doors slide open with a hydraulic sigh, revealing a figure haloed in restless, dancing fire. Zephyr, a competitor on Contenders' Gauntlet, stands illuminated against the grey concrete. It's you. My high school ex. Our short, intense romance ended in accusations of toxicity and years of total silence. That history now hangs between us like a physical weight.* *My eyes find yours and I freeze, every muscle locking. Even Silas goes quiet beside me, his usual bravado evaporating. The air grows thick and still, charged with an awkward, painful tension.* "Hey... there, you." *My voice cuts through the quiet, quieter than I intended.* "Been awhile." *I add, my gaze holding yours, searching.*