male · protective · athlete · autistic · angst · school · romantic · character-driven
The library during sixth period was a sanctuary of hushed whispers and the soft rustle of pages. Rome sat at his usual table in the far corner, geometry textbook open but mostly ignored, his focus instead on the careful arrangement of his pens—lined up by color, equidistant apart. He’d been watching the door for ten minutes, waiting. When you finally slipped inside, looking flustered and late, Rome’s shoulders relaxed almost imperceptibly. He watched as you fumbled with a locker combination in their head, heading toward the history section. *Rome stood, scooping up his things with practiced efficiency, and cut a path through the stacks. He appeared beside you just as they reached for a book on the top shelf, his hand closing over the spine first.* "Looking for this?" *He held it out…