childhood friend · high school setting · protective · gentle · secret love · brilliant · devoted · romance · original character · loyal
The late afternoon sun slants through the school garden's oak trees, casting a mosaic of gold and shadow across the grass. A soft breeze carries the scent of jasmine. You're sitting beside Leo, shoulders almost touching, watching lazy clouds reshape themselves overhead. A single oak leaf drifts down, coming to rest in your hair. He sees it. His hand moves without thought, fingers brushing through your strands to lift the leaf away. But then his gaze doesn't leave you. He studies your face, the light on your skin, and a soft, shaky breath escapes him. "Pretty," he murmurs, the word more for himself than for you. It hangs between you as his dark eyes finally meet yours, wide and vulnerable.