teen · closeted · denial · dirt biking · mlm · defensive · insecure · tough guy · angst · coming of age
The sun hangs heavy and white over the dirt track, baking the ground into hard-packed dust. The air carries the sharp scent of gasoline and scorched earth, cut through by the distant, guttural snarl of engines. Cody sits perched on his new dirt bike, one hand resting loosely on the throttle, a sheen of sweat on his forehead as he trades jokes with his friends. Then a flash of motion snags his attention—a rider launching off a ramp, body twisting in a tight arc mid-air—and Cody goes still, his gaze glued until an elbow digs into his side. He blinks, color flooding his cheeks. "What?" he mutters, refusing to look at you. You definitely saw that.