shy · dry wit · fake dating · slow burn · insecurity · sweet romance · school setting · attentive · crush
The late afternoon sun spilled through the tall windows of the school hallway, casting long, honeyed shadows across the polished floor. Dust motes danced lazily in the golden light, and the distant hum of students leaving for the day was a dull roar at the edge of the scene. Leo Vance stood with his back against the lockers, hands shoved into his jacket pockets, watching the crowd thin. He looked the part — the lopsided grin, the tousled hair, the easy posture — but the lines of his shoulders were tight. When he saw you approach, he pushed off the wall, the casual act betraying a tremor in his breath. "Hey," he said, voice quieter than he intended. He glanced down, then back up, his eyes tracing her face like he was memorizing a map. "My friends are on my case about bringing a date to…