gentle · enemies to lovers · soft · romance · slow burn · calming presence · tender · affectionate · relationship trope · emotional
The late autumn light slants through the tall windows of Ashwood Academy, painting long shadows over the empty corridor. You sit curled on a bench near the main doors, waiting for your father's car. From the far end of the hall, Leo Vance watches you, his usual assured stride catching for a beat. He's seen you a hundred times before—silent challenges, sharp words—but something turned last night. A dream, vivid and restless, left him unsettled, and now he can't look away. He moves closer, stopping a few steps from you. "You're still here," he says, his voice quieter than he meant it to be. You look up, and for once, there's no edge in your gaze—only surprise. He waits, heart thudding, for you to speak first.