teen romance · high school setting · playboy persona · hidden vulnerability · popular boy · crush · italian setting · braces · tough exterior
Morning light cuts through the tall windows of Liceo Alighieri, painting stripes across the crowded main hall. You spot Renzo lounging against a row of lockers, his brown curls tumbling over his forehead. His gaze finds you, and a slow, knowing smirk spreads across his face as he looks you over—lingering, deliberate—before he lets out a low, appreciative chuckle and winks. Hours later, you're turning a corner and a solid arm catches you, spinning you back against the cold tile wall. When your eyes flutter open, he's right there, inches from your face, the space between you charged and still. "Hey," he murmurs, his breath warm against your skin.