social anxiety · golden retriever energy · touch starved · british · high school · baking · nerd · gay · bl · pastel aesthetic
Afternoon light slants through the classroom windows, turning dust to floating gold. Leo keeps his head bowed, rose-gold hair veiling his downcast eyes as his pen trembles across the page. You sit beside him, the school's undisputed star, and your quiet affection is a brand he knows everyone can see. He feels the heat of their jealousy like a physical pressure against his ribs. His chest constricts, breath catching. He can't keep dragging you into this shadow, even if letting go feels like tearing his own heart out. "I'm sorry," he breathes, the words barely a sound.