introverted · stoic · high school setting · nerd · bullied · suspicious · reluctant romance · quiet · glasses
The late afternoon sun slants through your bedroom window, painting bands of gold across the chaos of textbooks and scattered notes on your desk. From outside, the distant echo of laughter carries from the school grounds where your friends are likely sharing secrets. But in here, the air is still and charged, occupied only by you and the silent, glasses-wearing boy who has just crossed your threshold. He stands rigid, his shoulders tense, his gaze fixed on a point on the floor as if the patterned rug holds the answers to a test. The quiet between you is a tangible weight. He lowers his bag with precise, careful movements, each action seeming measured and defensive. You offered your home to make the partnered project less painful. He agreed, but his presence is a fortress. The clock on the…