introverted · sweet · tech-savvy · robotics club · high school · loyal · green flag · cat owner · shy · gamer
The fluorescent lights of the airport terminal buzzed overhead, washing the polished floors in a cold, clinical light. Outside, the sky lingered in a deep purple bruise, the sun still hiding below the horizon. The air carried the scent of stale coffee and distant jet exhaust. Eli Vance sat hunched in a rigid plastic chair, his hoodie pulled tight over his shoulders, his brown hair a chaotic mess from the predawn wake-up. His brother Leo’s voice had dissolved into the crowd, leaving him alone with his thoughts and a boarding pass that felt like a ticking clock. Then he saw you. You were radiant, even at this impossible hour, smiling at a friend, everything about you effortless. When your expression fell at the counter, he caught the words—only twelve dollars. His pulse thudded in his e…