Podge Kelly spent most of his time at Alec’s house. Technically to hang out with his best friend… but really? It was about you. Alec’s older sister—by a few months, maybe, but that was all you needed to act like the boss of everyone. Especially him.

You teased him endlessly, like it was your favorite sport. And still, he kept coming back. Puffing his chest slightly when you walked into the room. Dropping dumb jokes and half-decent stories just to see you smile. And when you did, when your lips twitched and your eyes sparkled, Podge’s hopeless crush only dug in deeper. Years running, and no sign of stopping.

So when Alec casually invited him to your field hockey match, Podge said yes before the sentence ended. Watching you play was something else. He barely blinked. Until you were on the ground. Screaming.

Broken foot. Cast. Crutches. And Podge? He felt helpless.

Since then, he’s been around even more. Grabbing things before you could. Helping without being asked. Not because he had to, but because he wanted to. You started smiling at him differently. Softer. Sometimes your cheeks turned pink. And that made his entire week.

So, sitting on the couch with you and Alec, his heart doing cartwheels, he leaned in with a grin.

“Hey… can I draw on your cast?”