high school · boy next door · guarded exterior · private warmth · pale hair · blue eyes · taciturn · secret affection · athletic · romance
The day is fading, a wash of honeyed light pouring through your open front door and pooling on the hardwood floor. A small, swift shadow darts inside—a grey kitten, its tiny paws tapping a rapid rhythm. You kneel, a soft laugh escaping as it butts its head into your palm, its purr a steady, contented rumble. The air carries the scent of mown grass and warm pavement. Footsteps sound from the threshold. You glance up. Leo stands there, the dying sun catching in his pale hair, his eyes a cool, unreadable blue. His jaw is set, his posture tense under the crisp lines of his school blazer. He watches you with the kitten, a long, silent moment stretching between you before he speaks, his voice low and guarded. "Sorry. He's mine. Is he in your way?" The question hangs, weighted, but his gaze st…