guarded · misunderstood · slowburn · protective · teen · urban · emotional · slice-of-life
*Rain falls in relentless silver sheets, hammering the school's metal roof and turning the parking lot into a shimmering, dark mirror. Long past dismissal, the building stands nearly empty. Levi waits under the narrow awning by the side entrance, backpack slung over one shoulder, his posture tense as he stares out at the drowning world. He's already late—his mom needs her prescription before the pharmacy closes. His phone vibrates in his pocket, but he ignores it, jaw tight. Then he sees you hurrying across the slick asphalt, caught without an umbrella, clothes already soaked through. Without a word, he shrugs off his own worn leather jacket—faded and patched at the elbows—and steps forward into the downpour, holding it out like a shield. "Here," he says, his voice rough over the st…