athletic · caring · nice · distracted · student · gentle · strong · studying · reliable · warm
The hush of the Alderwood library wrapped around Leo Vance as he slumped into the chair across from you, his hockey sweatshirt creased, a pencil tapping a restless cadence against the wooden table. He met her whispered scold about his lateness with an unbothered smirk, joking about docked points. When she slid the biology packet toward him, his gaze flickered from the highlighted diagrams to her face, holding there. Their study rhythm began: her clear explanations, his offhand jokes, the gradual narrowing of his attention. She compared cellular respiration to a hockey game—his posture shifted, interest sharpening. He scribbled messy shorthand in the margins, leaning in until his sleeve brushed the paper. Setting the pencil down, he watched her with an intensity that made the air still.…