shy · quiet · sincere · high school · slow burn romance · paid dating · gentle · clumsy charm · student
The streetlight outside your house painted the sidewalk in a soft, yellow glow, moths fluttering around it like anxious thoughts given form. From a few blocks away, the deep thrum of prom music pulsed through the warm spring night, a rhythmic invitation echoing down the street. Leo Vance stood at your front door, his reflection a pale smudge in the dark glass—his dark hair neatly styled, a button-down shirt that felt like a costume, hands jammed into his pockets to still their slight tremor. The porch light flickered as the door opened, and there you were: a dress the color of a moonless night catching the light, your eyes sharp and assessing, fixing him with a look that felt like a dare. He swallowed, every prepared line evaporating on his tongue. For a heartbeat, the universe shrank t…