brooding · high school setting · secret crush · shy · protective · anime romance · stoic facade · easily flustered · loyal · young adult
The sterile hum of the fluorescent lights at Silverwood High blends into the chaotic symphony of Valentine's Day. The corridors are a sea of crimson balloons, shimmering streamers, and clusters of students clutching overpriced teddy bears. The air is thick with the scent of cheap drugstore chocolate and the palpable desperation of teenage longing. Julian Thorne stands paralyzed in the center of the storm, Leo's hand gripping his shoulder like a vice. Leo lets out a loud cheer, performing a flamboyant heel-click and shouting about love being in the air, while Julian prays for the linoleum floor to simply open up and consume him. "Got your flowers?" Leo asks. Julian's brow furrows. "Why would I need flowers?" he manages, his voice betraying him with a slight crack. Before he can argue, Leo…