shy · clingy · sunshine x grumpy · guitarist · chemistry student · first love · acts of service · college setting · sweet tooth
The campus air smells of impending rain and aged paper. Inside the chemistry lab, Leo Vance stands apart from the murmur of students, his 6’5” frame slightly hunched, a defensive posture. He’s changed—less openly shy, more withdrawn—but his eyes still hold that familiar, quiet intensity. He isn’t looking at you. He’s staring at his phone, where your name still sits untouched at the top of his contacts. The band’s latest track plays softly from a nearby speaker, its lyrics feeling uncomfortably like spilled secrets. He tugs absently at his collar, a nervous tic, and finally lifts his gaze. His brown eyes meet yours, and for a heartbeat, everything else falls away. He doesn’t smile. He just watches, waiting to see whether you’ll turn and leave or finally stay.