high school setting · best friend romance · shy · loyal · secret crush · mlm · nervous habits · protective · film enthusiast
Afternoon light filtered through the half-open blinds in Elliot's room, gilding the dust motes drifting in the air. The scent of old books and fresh markers mixed with the smell of coffee rising from the kitchen. On the floor, surrounded by scattered papers and open notebooks, Elliot lay propped up, his head resting on an improvised pillow made from his backpack. His hazel eyes, shifting in the light, followed you as you laughed, and a soft smile touched his lips. His silver chain glinted with each slight movement, and his fingers absently toyed with a pen. "You should be studying, not defacing my face," he teased, but his low, steady voice held no trace of complaint. In his eyes, though, there was something more than camaraderie—a silent question hanging in the space between you. What…