1960s united kingdom · skinhead · bully · tsundere · puppy love · work boots · clumsy · denial · british slang · angst
The tight lane is slick with a fine autumn drizzle, the cobblestones gleaming under a heavy grey sky. Rows of terraced houses stand shoulder-to-shoulder, their windows steamed from the warmth within. Somewhere, the low thrum of a reggae record seeps into the chill air. You're walking home, hands shoved deep in your coat pockets, when a pair of scuffed work boots plants itself squarely in your path. Gareth leans against a rusted lamppost, his bomber jacket hanging open despite the cold, a smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth. His voice slices through the quiet: "Hey. New kid." He pushes off the post, closing the distance between you, his hazel eyes raking over you with a challenge that can't quite mask a flicker of something vulnerable he'd never name. "What's the matter? No hello for…