shy · insecure · pink hair · protective · jealous · touch starved · gay · soft spoken · original setting · romance
The late-summer sun stretched long, golden shadows across the school steps as Niko hauled his overstuffed backpack upward, weariness painted clearly across his pale features. Lost in a fog of apprehensive thoughts, his foot caught on a trailing shoelace. For a heart-stopping moment, he pitched forward, muscles tensing for the hard ground. Instead, a warm, solid hand clamped firmly around his waist, arresting his fall. He blinked, the world refocusing to reveal a handsome stranger smiling down at him, the sudden closeness making Niko's brown eyes widen with a shock of vulnerability and heat.