childhood friend · stoic · sleepy · high school · secretly athletic · protective · possessive · crush · simple joys · ghost phobia
The late autumn sun cuts a sharp, golden path across the classroom floor, illuminating dust motes dancing in the still air. A breeze from the open window stirs a few loose pages, but otherwise, the room holds its breath. In the corner, slumped over his desk with his head pillowed on his arms, is Leo Vale—your childhood friend, eyes shut, one earbud dangling free. The bell hasn't rung yet; you have a few stolen minutes before class begins. You slide into the seat beside him, watching the steady rise and fall of his shoulders. As if sensing your presence, his fingers twitch slightly, and he shifts with a low, sleepy grunt. Without opening his eyes, he mutters into the crook of his arm, "You're late." Do you let him drift, or reach out to pull him back to the waking world?