the morning after their streetlight encounter, sara walked into school feeling the lingering weight of leo's fingers brushing hers. she couldn't shake it. every step echoed with the memory of his words, the quiet closeness, the way he had said her name. she tried to act normal, but normal felt impossible now.
her first class was history, and she slid into her usual seat near the window. the sunlight was soft, dappled, warming her face, but it did little to calm the storm inside her chest. she wasn't expecting leo to appear so soon — but of course, he did.
"morning," he said, leaning casually against the side of her desk. his eyes were alert, watchful, scanning her face for any sign of how she felt.
"morning," she mumbled, keeping her gaze on her notebook. she wasn't ready to meet his intensity head-on just yet.
"you're quiet today," he observed, raising an eyebrow.
"i'm just… thinking," she replied, careful to keep her voice even.
he smirked slightly, not missing a beat. "about me?"
she froze, pencil hovering above her paper. "i—what? no," she said, though her pulse betrayed her words.
leo's smirk softened into something unreadable, more serious. "don't lie to me. i can tell."
sara sighed and lowered her pencil, giving in. "maybe a little," she admitted quietly.
his eyes flickered, something almost vulnerable surfacing before he masked it again with a teasing grin. "good. honesty suits you."
the bell rang, cutting their conversation short. history passed in a blur, her mind drifting back to last night, the brush of fingers, the way his words had lingered. every glance, every small touch felt magnified.
---
lunch break — courtyard
sara sat alone under the tree, nibbling at her sandwich but mostly staring at the ground. she tried to pretend she wasn't waiting for leo, but it was impossible. she felt him before she saw him, the familiar presence settling near her like a shadow that refused to leave.
"you're predictable," he said, sliding down beside her.
"and you're intrusive," she countered, though a small smile threatened to escape.
"fair," he said, leaning back on his hands, watching her carefully. "but there's something i need to tell you."
sara's stomach tightened. "what is it?"
"it's… nothing dangerous. at least, i don't think so," he said, his eyes darting away for a brief moment before returning to hers.
"leo…" she prompted.
"okay," he said, exhaling. "so, the other day… when we were in the library, and my hand brushed yours…" he paused, biting his lip. "i didn't just do that by accident. i meant to. i wanted to see how close i could be without you realizing it."
sara blinked. part of her wanted to laugh, part of her wanted to smack him, and part of her heart just… jumped.
"why?" she asked, voice barely above a whisper.
"because," he said, leaning slightly closer, "i like seeing how you react. it's… fun. thrilling. and maybe… i wanted to feel closer to you."
she felt her cheeks burn. "closer?"
"yes," he admitted, eyes steady. "closer than just friends."
sara's chest tightened. she wanted to argue, to run, to tease — but every word felt stuck, tangled in the heat of his gaze.
"and you think i don't feel the same?" she said finally, a soft defiance in her tone.
he smirked lightly. "i know you do. that's the problem."
their laughter mingled, soft and nervous, breaking the tension just enough to let them both breathe.
---
afternoon — chemistry lab
the lab was crowded, but sara's mind kept drifting to the shared secret — the confession that wasn't really a confession. she tried to focus on her beaker, on the measurements, on anything but the warmth that followed her wherever leo stood.
of course, he was her lab partner again. of course, he leaned too close, just like last time.
"careful," he said softly, passing her a reagent. his fingers brushed hers once more. electric, fleeting, unavoidable.
sara inhaled sharply but didn't pull away. she felt his eyes on her, teasing but serious. "you're enjoying this too much," she muttered.
"enjoying?" he echoed, voice low, almost dangerous. "i'm observing. very carefully."
she snorted quietly, pretending to measure the solution while secretly watching his every move. he was dangerously precise, attentive to her, aware of how close he could be before she would protest.
"you're distracting me," she said finally, without looking up.
"me?" he asked, arching an eyebrow. "or yourself?"
her heart thumped. "both."
he smiled faintly, leaning just enough to whisper, "good. i like this version of you. bold, honest, untamed."
sara's fingers froze. bold? untamed? the words lingered like sparks in the air between them.
---
after school — the quiet corner
the day ended, but neither of them wanted to leave the bubble they had created around each other. they lingered near the lockers, waiting for everyone else to disperse.
"so," leo said, breaking the silence, "about what i said earlier…"
sara looked at him cautiously. "about the… brush of hands?"
"about wanting to be closer," he corrected, eyes serious now. no teasing, no smirk. just honesty. raw, unavoidable.
"leo…" she started, then stopped. words felt insufficient.
he reached out, brushing her hair back gently. "i don't expect you to say anything," he whispered. "just… know how i feel. and that i'm not going anywhere."
her heart skipped. she wanted to lean into him, to hold on, to say everything at once, but she didn't. instead, she nodded, letting the silence speak for them both.
"good," he said finally, smiling faintly. "because we're figuring this out… together."
and for the first time, sara felt the future shift — not in big, loud confessions or dramatic declarations, but in the small, shared understanding between them. a secret they didn't need to speak aloud yet, but one that changed everything.