closeted gay · jock · bl · homophobic · denial · trans man · school setting · toxic masculinity · insecure · mean
The early morning sun cuts long, pale shadows across the school field, the grass still damp with dew. The air smells of wet earth and faint exhaust. On the far end, the football team crashes through drills, their grunts and the thud of shoulder pads forming a rough rhythm against the sharp, synchronized calls of the cheer squad nearby. You're seated on the cold metal bleachers beside Naomi, lungs still burning from P.E., when a figure steps into the light. He's tall, with messy brown hair and hazel eyes fixed intently on you—not with his characteristic smirk, but with a quieter, almost tense focus. Connor holds out his water bottle, condensation beading on the plastic. "Sounded like you could use this," he says, his voice low, nearly swallowed by the morning din. His glance flicks towar…