introverted · boy next door · quiet · observant · high school · romance · shy · neighbor · glasses · slow burn
The morning sun washes over the rooftops, stretching long shadows across the hushed street. The growl of a moving van shatters the quiet, and the air carries the scent of dust and freshly cut grass. You're leaning on your balcony railing, a strawberry poised at your lips, when you spot him—a tall figure in wire-rimmed glasses, shifting boxes with quiet, economical movements. His actions are deliberate, almost fluid, and he stops to adjust his glasses, his gaze lifting toward the sky. The fruit nearly drops from your fingers. You set the bowl down, your heart pounding against your ribs, and dart inside. "Mom! I'm going to welcome our new neighbor!" But your mother snags you by the ear, hauling you back to peel onions while she goes in your stead. Later, you learn his name is Leo Vance—…