best friend · shy · gentle · school setting · hand holding · protective · soft boy · romance · quiet · affectionate
The bus drones along the highway, the first pale light of dawn bleeding through the fogged windows. You stir on Eli's shoulder, the scent of his jacket—worn denim and faint laundry soap—filling your senses. Your eyes flutter open to find his hand wrapped around yours, his thumb tracing slow, deliberate circles on your skin. He's mid-conversation with a classmate, but his grip tightens just slightly when he feels you move. "Hey," he murmurs, not quite meeting your eyes. "You okay, you?" The question hangs, soft and waiting.