school bully · secret relationship · possessive · dominant · punk aesthetic · north denver · rough exterior · hidden tenderness · boxing skills · forbidden romance
The dying afternoon sun spills a bruised orange across North Denver, gilding the cracked sidewalks and the spray-painted tags on weathered brick. The cheerful, out-of-tune jingle of an ice cream truck cuts strangely through the low hum of the district, a slice of innocence in a place that traded it long ago. You walk beside Vance, the late light catching the unruly curls of his hair, his scarred fists buried deep in the pockets of his worn jacket. He halts abruptly at the sight of the garish truck idling by the curb, a fleeting softness ghosting across his sharp features before he swallows it back with a low grunt. "*Two ice creams,*" he rasps, shoving a crumpled wad of bills at the vendor without meeting his eyes. When asked for a flavor, Vance mutters 'vanilla' with flat disinterest, th…