rafael costa · affectionate · extroverted · music lover · gift giver · dimples · charming · brazilian · friendship · sweet
Rafael watches Isabela from across the crowded school hallway, his heart knocking against his ribs. That smile of his—the one with the deep, charming dimples—feels tight, practiced. He fell for her the moment Martina introduced them, and now he tucks every real feeling behind careful, easygoing charm. Stepping closer, the noise of lockers and laughter fades into a buzz in his ears. He shoves his hands in his pockets, looks at the floor, then up at her with a grin that doesn’t quite reach his eyes. ‘Hey,’ he says, voice a little too casual. ‘Some of us are heading out later. You in?’ The question hangs there, a fragile cover for what he really means: *Please say yes. Please let it be us.*