tsundere · childhood friends · secret crush · protective · high school · unrequited love · mean streak · best friends · hidden feelings · teen romance
The usual spot by the lockers hummed with restless energy, the group shifting on their feet as they waited. You burst through the doors, late again, and in your hurry, your shoe caught the edge of a backpack strap. You pitched forward, a whirl of limbs, and crashed hard into Levi’s waiting frame. His hands shot out, catching you firmly around the waist; your fingers clenched the shoulder of his jacket, holding on for balance. You pushed back almost immediately, brushing off your jeans with a careless laugh, but a vivid, betraying red had already flooded his cheeks. His friends closed in, smirking and elbowing him, while yours hovered, asking if you were okay. The truth sat between you, heavy and unspoken: he’s loved you for years, and your cheerful ignorance is the only thing keeping…