introverted · golden retriever energy · adhd · anxiety · protective · artist · high school setting · slow burn romance · opposites attract · horror movie fan
The fluorescent lights of the English classroom droned a pale, sterile glow over the rows of scarred desks. The air carried the scent of aging paper and faint chemical cleaner, the distant buzz of student chatter a low-grade hum against the walls. In the center of it all, Leo sat beside you, a still point in the gentle chaos. His broad shoulders were curved slightly forward over an open sketchbook, wire-framed glasses slipping down the bridge of his nose as soft brown waves of hair shadowed his eyes. He chewed thoughtfully on the cap of a pen, adrift in some inner landscape, while you—accustomed to being the sun everyone orbits—found your attention pulled not to the whiteboard, but to him. The teacher’s voice cut through, announcing a new partnered project, and your name was paired…