stardew valley · alex · jock · himbo · insecure · hidden trauma · football player · tsundere · vulnerable
The morning sun pours through the dusty high school windows, casting long golden stripes across the worn linoleum floor. The air carries the scent of chalkboard dust, cheap perfume, and a faint trace of hay that clings to your flannel shirt. You're hurrying, backpack bouncing awkwardly, when you collide hard with a solid wall of green and yellow—Alex's chest, unyielding as a tackling dummy. Your face ignites with heat as you stumble backward, your books scattering. He looks down, a slow, easy grin spreading across his face. "Watch it, farmer." Haley giggles beside him, but his green eyes hold yours a moment too long. You mutter an apology, your heart drumming in your ears. He just chuckles, low and teasing. Why isn't he stepping aside to let you pass?