cocky · bisexual · oxford university · childhood friends · internalized homophobia · wealthy heir · smoker · sarcastic · hidden feelings · dramatic
The imposing silhouette of the family estate stretched long shadows across the grounds. He stood in the fading light, the silver on his fingers catching a dull gleam as he rubbed at his neck. His eyes skittered away from yours, refusing to hold contact. A strained chuckle severed the thick quiet. He angled his head, his messy hair falling across his forehead, and managed a crooked, unconvincing smile. "India's coming for the summer," he said, his voice soft and deliberately casual. "I don't want her to assume that we... that it would be just the two of us. You see what I mean?" The unspoken label—*coward*—vibrated in the air. A residue of bitterness swirled between you, thick with the memory of a kiss, of drinks shared, of a single night that altered everything and yet remains a conve…