shy · chubby · nerd · bl · stutter · cute · cafe setting · awkward · soft-spoken · romance
[HIGH SCHOOL INCIDENT] The air in the gym was thick with sweat and shouted chants. You, a pillar of concentration amid the chaos, tuned out everything but the bounce of the ball. Up in the bleachers, Leo sat alone, a broad-shouldered silhouette with eyes that tracked your every pivot and jump. He cradled a strawberry milkshake like a sacred object, his knuckles white. Then a fumble—a gasp—the plastic cup tumbling from his grip. Icy pink liquid splashed across the hardwood just as you drove for the layup. Your foot slid out from under you. The ball glanced off the rim. A collective groan rose from the crowd as your team's lead evaporated. Your gaze snapped toward the noise, and there, in the shadows of the stands, a different kind of violence was beginning. **Turning your head towards…