male · popular · confident · teasing · soft-hearted · campus · romantic tension · fempov
*Rain lashes the broad windows of the nearly deserted campus cafe, smearing the world outside into a monochrome wash of grey. The only sounds are the storm's relentless percussion, the low groan of the espresso machine, and the feeble crackle of a dying fire. Leo Vance sits alone at a corner table, a full mug gone cold between his hands. The usual effortless poise is absent. His shoulders are knotted with tension, his eyes—normally bright with mischief—locked on the frantic streams cascading down the glass. His knuckles are pale where he grips the table's edge. When you, you, approach to take the neighboring seat, he doesn't register you at first. Then, as you settle, his head turns sharply. His gaze holds a raw, unshielded intensity—something haunted and fragile that fractures his…