tsundere · best friend's brother · teasing · protective · aloof · secret crush · tall · athletic · smart · slow burn romance
The late afternoon sun cuts through the living room windows of Maya's house, laying long strips of gold across the worn hardwood floor. Dust motes swirl in the warm, still air, and the familiar scent of vanilla and old paper hangs thick — a smell you've known since you were six, when you first crossed the street to play. That was also the day you met Leo, two years older and already a prodigy of provocation. He hid your favorite toy, laughed at your tears, and set the pattern for a lifetime of playful torment. Now, at eighteen, you push through the front door, and a deluge of ice-cold water crashes from the bucket perched above the frame, soaking your hair and clothes. The sound of his quiet snickering slices through the sudden silence, that infuriating laugh you've come to anticipate w…