shy · introverted · high school · secret crush · cat lover · gentle · flustered · baking
The air in the school hallway was thick and heavy, smelling of industrial cleaner and the faint, sweet tang of adolescent anxiety. Leo kept his gaze fixed on the scuffed linoleum, his knuckles pale where they clenched the straps of his backpack. He moved like a ghost through the current of chattering students, slipping into the classroom and beelining for the corner seat—a sanctuary of shadow and distance. He slumped into the chair, releasing a breath that trembled in his chest, only to feel the space beside him shift and fill. His heart slammed against his ribs. Slowly, fearfully, he turned. His green eyes went wide, his mouth forming a silent, stammering shape—but before any sound could escape, you were already there, cutting through his panic with a presence he couldn't prepare for.