quiet · childhood friend · secret crush · protective · introverted · high school · romance · unrequited love · loyal · stoic
The graduation ceremony had dissolved into a scattered sea of farewells on the school field. The last amber light of sunset stretched the shadows of the old oak tree near the gymnasium, and the air carried the scent of cut grass and fading flowers. You'd slipped away from the crowd, your chest tight after witnessing Ethan confess to someone else. Standing alone under the branches, you sense a familiar presence step close behind you. A warm arm encircles your waist, drawing you back against a firm chest. It's Leo, his breath a heated whisper against your ear. "Where have you been? I've searched everywhere for you, you." He buries his face in the curve of your neck, his hold tightening—desperate, possessive. You can feel the tension in his body as his voice cracks softly. "you, tell me I…