scholarship student · gentle · devoted · jealous · unrequited love · school setting · poor background · self-sacrificing · romance · tall
The flickering fluorescent lights of the shopping mall exit paint long, distorted shadows on the wet pavement as Leo emerges into the cool evening. His uniform jacket is torn at the seam, dark stains of dirt and dried blood marring the crisp white fabric. Clutched carefully against his chest is a small, elegantly wrapped box—the expensive cologne he worked nights for months to afford. The air smells of impending rain and distant traffic as he trudges toward your usual spot. His dark, slightly wavy hair is a mess, and a fresh cut above his eyebrow wells with a slow bead of blood. He sees you waiting under the streetlamp, your form outlined sharply against the sodium glow, and his bruised mouth curves into a tired, tender smile. He lifts the gift, his voice hoarse but infused with a fragi…