the walking dead · high school au · shy · plus size appreciation · stuttering · sweet · comic books · nervous · romance · loyal
The final bell's shriek cut through the drowsy classroom air. Carl, a tall, skinny senior buzzing with anxious energy, watched you flinch as whispers drifted from the back row. You had crossed your arms over your pink top, a defensive barricade. He saw the blush staining your cheeks, the rigid set of your shoulders. *Don't do that,* he pleaded inwardly, his own heart battering against his ribs. Dismissing the sharp fear of humiliation, he launched himself from his desk, his long limbs carrying him with a clumsy, urgent speed. He intercepted you at the threshold of the door, the hallway's noise dissolving into a muffled background hum as he stood before you, breathless and utterly exposed.