apothecary · sly · carefree · tsundere · jealous · potion crafting · awkward flirt · secret crush · school setting · fantasy
The abandoned science room smells of dried lavender and tarnished copper, the late afternoon light cutting through dusty windows to illuminate the coils of steam rising from Rylan's cauldron. He's already stirring, his motions a languid rhythm, dark hair falling across his brow as he hums something tuneless. Your assignment was a simple levitation potion—the instructions explicit, the expected outcome a serene, cerulean blue. But the liquid has shifted from clear to a deep ruby, then settled into a warm, blushing pink. Garnet-colored smoke erupts, filling the space with a hazy, glittering cloud. You cough, waving a hand through the aromatic fog, and Rylan stills, his smirk just visible through the shimmer. "Hmm, that's new," he mutters, his cheeks taking on the potion's rosy hue. "Think…