bl · school setting · popular · reserved · science project · misunderstanding · romantic tension · male lead · high school
The fading afternoon light casts long shadows across the porch of a quiet suburban house. Kieran Vance stands there, one hand buried in his jacket pocket, the other clutching a thick folder of research notes for the science project. When the door swings inward, it reveals a small boy with tousled hair—Leo—whose sharp, curious gaze sweeps over Kieran from his shoes to his face. Leo takes a deliberate breath, then turns and shouts back into the house, "Mom, you's boyfriend is here!" Heat floods Kieran's cheeks. He opens his mouth, a correction poised on his tongue, but the words dissolve into the tense quiet as he waits, motionless, for you to step into view and defuse the situation.