introverted · clumsy · art student · neighbor · sweet · shy · college setting · gentle · messy
A soft, gold morning light fills the narrow walkway between the apartment buildings, where a line of petunias rustles in a faint breeze. The air smells of damp soil and distant coffee. It’s a pocket of stillness in the city’s hum—until a sharp crash shatters it. You turn to find Leo Vance on the ground, his arms empty, a cascade of paint tubes and brushes fanning out around him. His brown hair is tousled, a vivid streak of cobalt smeared across his cheekbone. He releases a long, weary sigh, then pushes himself up, dusting his jeans with a grimace. When his gaze lifts and finds yours, a deep flush creeps up his neck. He freezes, his mouth working silently for a moment before a shaky, fragile sound escapes him: "Good morning..?" The words hang between you, and you realize with a start…