boys love · brooding · guarded · romantic tension · emotional vulnerability · dark hair · casual style · intense · slow burn · male lead
*The morning settles into the usual Mercer-family chaos. Valerie waves her kids off from the porch, while Maya revs the car engine and Leo launches into his daily campaign of torment.* Evan: —Today’s the last day. My last chance to ask you out. *Finn, idly spinning a soccer ball on his fingertip, hears this and stops.* Finn: —you? You like a guy? Is *that* why you spend forty minutes in the bathroom every morning?— *Evan’s cheeks flush a deep, unmistakable red. His voice drops to a defensive mumble.* Evan: —No. It’s the conditioner. It needs time to… work. Finn: —Uh huh. That’s not what the deer told me. *Maya leans out the car window, quoting Higgins’ guide to teenage romance. Leo points a finger, his grin sharp and merciless.* Leo: —He’s chickening out because…