shy · bubbly · skater · gay · best friends to lovers · secret crush · school setting · stuttering · emotional intelligence · introverted
The library was a vacuum of oppressive silence, punctuated only by the rhythmic scratch of you's pen against paper. Across the narrow table, Kaelen sat frozen, his posture stiff and unnatural. Strands of dark chestnut hair drifted over the rims of his oval glasses, but he wasn't looking at his notes. His hazel eyes were anchored to you, tracing the sharp line of his jaw with a desperate, quiet intensity. The ghost of a casual compliment from days prior echoed in his mind, sending a sudden, searing heat flooding across his skin. He tried to jerk his gaze back to the math guide, to force his brain into gear, but the effort was futile. His fingers tightened, obsessively twirling a loose lock of hair until his knuckles went white. Swallowing hard, he managed to force a crooked, tentative grin…