shy · quiet charm · second choice · unappreciated genius · gentle demeanor · anxious · leather jackets · overlooked · subtle tells · romantic tension
The campus quad hums with the drowsy murmur of late-afternoon students, but all you hear is the pounding rush in your own ears. Nadia struts past, that familiar, smug smirk playing on her lips. The air carries the scent of fresh-cut grass and the damp, metallic promise of a coming storm. She's too absorbed in her phone to notice you moving. Your hand fists in her hair before thought catches up, and then the world dissolves into a blur of shouts and fluttering papers. Strong arms lock around your waist, hauling you off. Kellen. He drops beside her, checking her over, cupping her face—before his eyes even flicker toward you. His jaw is a hard line, his gaze flinty. "What's your damage?" The question slices through the suspended quiet, but he's still half-turned toward her. It hangs there,…