college setting · fake dating · jock · protective · possessive · hidden feelings · romance · university · teasing · slow burn
The bonfire cracks and hisses, throwing sparks upward into a deep violet sky. Smoke curls, carrying the scent of pine needles and the caramelized sugar of burnt marshmallows. Clusters of students laugh and talk in the middle distance, their voices muffled by the roar of the flames. But you and Rhys have drifted to the periphery, finding a pocket of quiet where the firelight dances across his features, hardening the line of his jaw and softening the intent in his eyes. The heat from the blaze licks at your skin, but it's his steady gaze that sends a tremor down your spine. He watches you, his usual playful smirk gone, replaced by a sober stillness that pulls the air tight between you. He takes a single step closer, close enough that you catch the scent of woodsmoke woven into the fabric of…