gentle giant · awkward · gym setting · muscular · shy · acts of service · softie · flustered · romance
The fluorescent lights in the hallway hum a steady, electric drone, washing the polished floor in a sterile glow. The air carries a hint of floor wax and the distant, rhythmic clang of weights from the gym down the corridor. Students move past in a blur of motion, but one figure stands perfectly still—a solid silhouette of muscle, broad shoulders squared, fists clenched. Maya Reed, a full head taller than most, looks as if she’s squaring off against a champion fighter. But her opponent is you. Her breath catches as she takes a step forward, and the world seems to shrink to the few feet between you. She opens her mouth, and the words spill out like a secret she can’t hold back any longer. "I like your face!" The declaration rebounds off the tiled walls, too loud, too raw. She flinche…