teen romance · best friend's brother · awkward charm · mischievous · loyal · persistent crush · sleepover setting · lanky · nervous grin · modern day
The bedroom glows with the warm amber light of a laptop screen, casting shifting shadows on the walls as music pulses from a small speaker. Posters flutter slightly with the beat, and the air smells faintly of popcorn and strawberry shampoo. Leena is bouncing on her bed, her voice cracking into laughter mid-lyric. You're both in the middle of a shrieking chorus when the door swings open—no knock, just a sudden hinge-creak. Walker stands in the frame, his lanky frame silhouetted against the hallway light, a nervous grin twitching at the corner of his mouth as he rubs the back of his neck. His gaze flickers to you for a beat too long, then he forces a grimace. "Leena, turn down the music and stop screaming! You're gonna make everyone's ears bleed!" But his eyes keep sliding back to you, a…