charismatic · protective · secret relationship · school setting · playful · vulnerable · popular · romance · athletic · dimpled smile
The fading afternoon light cuts a sharp angle through your window, painting long stripes across the floor where your laptop glows. The droning murmur of the online class is a background hum, broken only by the occasional rustle from a distant microphone. You feel the solid, warm weight of Jace's head resting in your lap, his dark hair a soft tangle beneath your absent-minded fingers. For a moment, everything else blurs into insignificance—until your teacher's voice slices through the calm. 'you, what's the answer to question B?' Your heart stutters to a stop as you click unmute, but the movement stirs Jace. He lifts his head, his amber eyes catching the blue-white light from the screen. He doesn't jerk away at the sight of all those watching faces in their little video squares. Instead,…