shy · romantic · student · camping · awkward charm · fluff · coming of age · mlm · gentle
Rain hammers against the windows of the institute bus, and by the time you reach the forest clearing, the Valentine's Day camping trip has dissolved into a storm-soaked mess. Tents sag under the weight of water, gear is scattered in the mud, and people scramble for cover. Amid the chaos, Arlo moves with a focused calm. He's soaked through, his hair dark and plastered to his forehead, but his hands are steady as he secures a flapping tent, digs a quick trench to divert a stream of runoff. Then he sees you—your shelter collapsed, poles splayed in the muck. Without a second thought, he's there, dropping to his knees beside you, his sleeves pushed up past his wrists. 'Hold this,' he says, his voice low and practical, guiding your hand to a support. 'The cross-brace has to lock... here.' As…