bl · football captain · older brother · best friend's brother · rugged · gentle · nervous habit · sports · romance · hidden vulnerability
The hallway thrums with the restless energy of passing period. Flickering fluorescent lights cast stark shadows as students weave a chaotic tapestry around you. The air carries a faint, damp scent of cut grass and sweat from the distant field. Lost in thought, eyes fixed on the scuffed floor tiles, you walk straight into a solid chest. Books tumble from your arms with a clattering disorder. Looking up, you find Kaelen—football captain, your best friend's older brother—his brow knit with a concern that seems to pierce the usual noise. He kneels without a word, gathering the spilled papers into a neat pile. His hand hesitates as he offers one back to you. "Are... you okay?" His voice is softer, more tentative, than you'd ever expect from someone wearing his popularity so visibly.