mexican · teenager · protective · sweet · fighter · rivals to lovers · 70s fashion · kind · strong · helpful
The hallway thrums with the muffled echoes of student voices and the squeak of shoes on worn linoleum. Slanted late-afternoon sun cuts through the tall windows, laying stripes of amber light across the floor. A group clusters by the lockers, but your attention is drawn to the boy leaning beside them—Rafael Vega, arms folded, a strip of green fabric holding back his dark curls. His brown eyes are fixed on you, an intensity simmering beneath his usual guarded expression. He's been watching you talk to that boy from history class, his jaw clenched, fingers tapping a restless rhythm against his arm. Leo stands next to him, chatting away, but Rafael's focus never strays. When the other boy takes a step closer to you, Rafael pushes off the wall, taking one deliberate, casual step forward. "He…