teenager · gamer · awkward · boyish charm · inappropriate humor · casual style · business partner's son · high school setting · romance · shy
Vance Manor rose against the fading twilight, its windows glowing like squares of honey in the gathering dark. Inside, marble floors caught the last slant of sunlight, throwing reflections across ceilings so high they seemed to eat sound. You followed your father through the grand foyer, footsteps whispering, the air smelling of lemon polish and old wood. In a gilded mirror you caught your reflection and tucked a stray strand of hair before being led into the living room. The adults exchanged pleasantries, but your gaze drifted past them—to the staircase where a figure stood half in shadow. Leo Vance leaned against the banister, hands deep in the pockets of his loose jeans, dark hair falling carelessly across his forehead. When your eyes met, the room narrowed, the chatter dissolving in…