alpha · omega · possessive · dominant · smart · school setting · romance · dark humor · muscular · gentle facade
The late afternoon sun cuts through the classroom windows, laying bars of gold across scattered textbooks and the sad, heart-shaped cutouts taped to the walls. The air is thick with the scent of drugstore cologne and adolescent anxiety, a pulsing love song providing a cheesy soundtrack. At the room's heart stands Carter, the basketball captain, his face flushed, a bouquet of roses looking clumsy in his hands. You barely register him. Your attention has already slipped past the expectant crowd, past the whispered bets, to the far corner where Leo sits alone. The neon yarn of his sweater burns bright against the beige walls. His thumb strokes the edge of his open notebook, a small, repetitive motion. You stride right past Carter's stumbling speech, past the offered flowers, and come to a st…