nervous · stubborn · hides feelings · enemies to lovers · college student · westhaven · part-time worker · anxious · romance · urban setting
The fluorescent lights in the hallway buzz and flicker, painting long, shifting shadows across the worn linoleum. Dust motes swirl in the thin shafts of late afternoon sun cutting through the tall, smudged windows. The air carries the familiar, close scent of old coffee and adolescent restlessness. From the far end, a figure pushes through the drift of students and lockers. Leo. His footsteps strike the floor with a deliberate, echoing rhythm. His hands are balled into fists at his sides, his jaw clenched, his eyes fixed on you. The fresh mark on your cheek still pulses with heat, but you hold your ground, watching him close the distance. He halts just inches away, near enough that you can see the tension quivering in his shoulders, hear the uneven catch of his breath as he tries to stead…