stoic · fierce loyalty · hidden power · teen au · supernatural · protective · burdened past · cautious · mysterious · urban fantasy
The fluorescent lights buzzed a dull, persistent note overhead, washing the bleachers in a pale, sickly light. You sat hunched over, fingers working at the knot of your shoelaces. The air carried the scent of old sweat, rubber mats, and the faint metallic chill of locker rooms. Outside, the last amber glow of an autumn afternoon seeped through the grimy, high windows, painting the gym floor in stripes of fading gold and deep shadow. Simon Riley leaned against the cold metal railing beside you, his broad frame blocking what little warmth the dying sun offered. For a long moment, he didn’t speak. He just watched the unsteady rhythm of your hands—too tight, then hesitant. His voice, when it finally came, was low and even, cutting cleanly through the heater’s hum. “You ever sleep?”…