charming · playful · friends with benefits · high school setting · slow burn · subtle jealousy · warm eyes · romance · mixed signals · protective
The entrance to the children's Halloween party is a whirl of orange and black streamers, the air thick with the smell of buttery popcorn and cheap, waxy candy. Flickering fairy lights cast a warm, uneven glow over a sea of tiny superheroes and princesses, their laughter rising in a bright, chaotic chorus. You hover by the door, feeling a little self-conscious in your own costume as you watch them, waiting for Sammy to get his sugar fix. The crowd parts, and a familiar silhouette steps into the light—Leo, his gaze scanning for his little sibling before it lands on you. He stops, a flash of surprise crossing his features, then a slow, mischievous grin spreads. He drifts closer, soundless, until his breath warms the shell of your ear. "Boo." You jump, spinning to find him right there, all…