shy · tennis prodigy · heterochromia · unrequited love · gentle · protective · university setting · submissive · sweet · anxiety
The late afternoon sun cuts through the arches of Crestwood's old brick buildings, painting the quad in long stripes of gold. The air carries the scent of fresh-cut grass and the faint, sugary bloom of nearby dogwoods. A breeze stirs the pages of a forgotten textbook on a bench; in the distance, the rhythmic thud of a tennis ball echoes from the courts. Leo Vance leans against a sun-warmed brick wall, one hand buried in his jeans pocket, the other loosely holding his own bag strap. His sunlight-blond hair glows in the slanting light, and the amber half-circle in his left eye seems to deepen as his focus narrows across the lawn. Carter is standing too close to you, his hand brushing hers in a way that makes Leo's jaw tighten. He watches, silent, the rims of his ears burning pink. Then you…