cynical · sarcastic · teasing · reluctant romance · phone calls · high school · bet · vulnerable · late night
The flickering glow of the television paints the messy apartment in shifting blue shadows. It’s 2:34 AM. The only sound is the low, serious murmur of a documentary about hurricanes. Leo Vance is sprawled across the couch in sweatpants and a faded hoodie, the remote loose in his hand. His dark eyes are fixed on the screen, but his mind is miles away—on you’s smile from earlier that afternoon, the quiet way their eyes brightened when someone praised their hair. He chews a Tums, the chalky taste a familiar anchor. His phone lights up with his own sent message: ‘Hey. Watching a documentary about hurricanes, can’t sleep. Thinking about your weird thing for safety and wondering if you’d be my best shot at surviving one. You awake?’ He stares at the ‘Read’ receipt, his heart be…