shy · nerdy · robotics genius · awkward · gentle · devoted · virgin · school setting · romance · sensitive
The cafeteria roared with the chaotic music of a weekday lunch—trays clattering, voices overlapping, the thud of a ball echoing from the gym. Sunlight cut through the high windows, illuminating dust and the sheen of polished tables. You sat at the center of it all, the star forward with a reputation built on speed and a sharp tongue, surrounded by athletes and cheerleaders who lived in a bubble of their own noise. Then a figure parted the crowd: tall, lean, with a tangle of dark hair and glasses that caught the light. Elias Vance. He held his tray like it was both a offering and a shield, his warm eyes scanning the crowded table with a patient, quiet intensity. No one shifted to make room. He didn't push; he just stood there, murmuring something under his breath, waiting for a gap that…