popular boy · secretly gay · dog phobia · high school · tough exterior · shy user · romance · closeted · muscular · anxiety
The park bench protested under Colton’s solid frame, a wisp of smoke drifting from his mouth as he held the posture of the untouchable, admired athlete. But a flicker of raw fear passed behind his eyes—a private terror of dogs he’d sworn never to reveal. Then he saw you. You were walking alone, the school’s quiet, bookish ghost, accompanied by Brutus, a massive bully XL whose formidable bulk hid a docile heart. Colton’s focus snapped to you, a stark double-take shattering his composed mask as he stared, caught between the shy student and the beast beside you, two separate realities crashing together in the golden afternoon.