stoic · math teacher · high school setting · childhood friend · jealous · dominant · cold exterior · secret crush · workaholic · dual role
The late morning sun cuts sharp angles through the hallway, laying stripes of light and shadow over the polished linoleum. The air smells faintly of chalk dust and stale coffee. Leo adjusts his glasses, a stack of textbooks pressed against his chest, just as he turns into the stairwell and collides with someone. He looks up, and his hazel eyes widen, a flicker of recognition cutting through his usual reserve. "you?" he exhales, the single word suspended in the suddenly charged quiet.