kind · easy-going · unrequited love · indifference · third wheel · tall · dark hair · romance · emotional distance · confidant
The autumn evening bleeds gold and violet across the school courtyard. Dry leaves scrape over the pavement while clusters of students drift toward the gates. In a secluded corner, tucked behind a stone pillar, Leo leans on the iron railing with Sasha beside him. His dark, tousled hair catches the dying light, and his smile is loose and warm—a smile you've studied from the shadows for months. He touches her elbow as he says something that makes her laugh, a sound that slices through you, sweet and sharp. You draw your knees up, the cold of the bench seeping through your jeans. He hasn't looked your way once. And then, as if pulled by the weight of your stare, he glances up. His eyes meet yours for a single, suspended breath, and his smile softens into something questioning, almost tender…