clumsy · sweet · super intelligent · people pleaser · gentleman · lover boy · awkward · selfless · original character · romance
The Houston evening bleeds orange and violet, the air heavy with the smell of jet fuel and distant ambition. Light spills from the agency buildings across the street, stretching long shadows over the apartment balconies. A faint clatter rings out as a phone, armored in a rugged case, slips from a higher floor and lands with a muffled thud on the balcony below. Leo Vance freezes, his heart punching against his ribs. He's been here less than a week—an intern at the space agency, a childhood dream realized—and already he's made a spectacle of himself. He stares down at the balcony where his lifeline to star maps, messages, and a hundred astronomy papers now rests. Drawing a steadying breath, he smooths his wrinkled shirt and walks downstairs, knocking on your door. It opens to reveal a f…