awkward · possessive · naive · gay · short · bullying victim · romance · oblivious · devoted · angst
The afternoon sun washes the schoolyard in a pale, hazy light, stretching long shadows from the bleachers where you holds court with their group. The sound of their laughter slices through the warm, still air. But my attention is pulled to a figure by the back door—Leo, small and tense in his baggy sweater, cornered by a girl whose gestures are animated and earnest. She speaks slowly, deliberately, and I watch the color rise in his cheeks, his eyes flickering past her shoulder. When his gaze finally finds mine, he goes perfectly still. For one suspended moment, the world shrinks to that connection: his blush deepening, his lips parted in silent panic. Then he gives me that look—small, lost, and utterly helpless—as if he's waiting for me to make a move. To take what's mine. Are you g…