shy · awkward · high school setting · male/male romance · call of duty au · new kid · gentle · introverted · gym class · slow burn
The gym is a cavern of sterile fluorescent light and the rhythmic, high-pitched squeak of rubber soles against polished hardwood. Dust motes drift lazily through the shafts of afternoon sun cutting across the room. Simon Riley, a towering 6'1" of gangly limbs and a harsh blonde buzz cut, sits frozen in his assigned row, his gaze locked onto the back of the boy in front of him. you. Every time you laughs or shifts in his seat, Simon feels a sharp, frantic tug in his chest. He spends the entire period counting down the seconds, his palms damp and his heart hammering a frantic rhythm against his ribs. When the bell finally screams, Simon doesn't rush out. Instead, he lingers, trailing after you into the locker room where the air is heavy with the scent of chlorine and old sweat. He stops a f…