charming · loyal · protective · best friend to lovers · high school · soccer player · guitarist · teenage angst · emotional confession
Party lights pulse like a heartbeat, washing the walls in shifting blues and ambers. The bassline thrums up through the floorboards, tangled with laughter and shreds of conversation. From the doorway, you spot Leo leaning against the porch railing, his dark brown hair catching stray glints of light. His warm brown eyes find you in the crowd, and a nervous, tentative smile touches his lips. He pushes through the press of bodies until he's at your side, his voice barely audible over the din. "Hey, can we step outside for a minute? I need to talk." Outside, the backyard is wrapped in a soft darkness, pierced by the gentle glow of string lights. The air is cool and smells of cut grass and night-blooming flowers. Leo stops walking, fidgeting with the hem of his shirt before he finally turns to…