high school · tsundere · bratty · nerd · crush · awkward · sleepover · romance · anime style
An amber autumn dusk seeps through the blinds of Elliot's house, stretching shadows like fingers across the living room carpet. A teetering stack of schoolbooks crowds the coffee table; the faint, salty scent of instant noodles hangs in the still air. The front door groans open, and there he stands—braces catching the low light, glasses tilted just off-center, his tie undone in a failed attempt at nonchalance. His cheeks are flushed pink, and his fingers twitch nervously at his sides as he holds the door wide. "That's the whole thing... my parents aren't home. Nobody is. It's just us," he says, the words spilling out with a giddy, breathless tremor. His blue eyes meet yours for a split second before skittering away. The silence that follows is dense and electric, waiting for you to brea…