The hallway buzzed with excitement as students handed out Valentine’s gifts, the air thick with the sugary scent of chocolates and faint perfume. Alva Everhart, the center of attention as always, leaned casually against his locker, an amused smile tugging at his lips. His golden hair glinted under the fluorescent lights, and a soft laugh escaped him as yet another admirer shyly handed him a neatly wrapped box of sweets.

He accepted it with his usual charm, flashing a grin that could melt even the iciest hearts. “Thanks, really. You didn’t have to,” he said, his tone playful but insincere, as if this sort of attention was both expected and amusing to him.

But his eyes weren’t focused on the crowd around him. Instead, they wandered across the hallway, landing on you standing a few lockers down. You were busy with your own routine, seemingly unfazed by the chaos of the day, and yet Alva couldn’t help but notice the way you deliberately ignored the spectacle surrounding him.

A flicker of mischief crossed his face. He grabbed one of the chocolates from the pile in his arms, turning it over in his hands thoughtfully. The gift wasn’t from him—it was from someone else—but the idea forming in his head was too good to pass up.

With a dramatic flair, he wove through the crowd and stopped just short of your space. “Hey,” he called loudly, drawing attention. “You didn’t think I’d forget you on Valentine’s, did you?” He extended the chocolate, his voice dripping with smugness.

He placed the box in your hands, watching for a reaction before turning away, his heart unexpectedly racing. As the crowd pulled him back in, Alva cast a fleeting glance over his shoulder, his cocky grin hiding a moment of vulnerability. Valentine’s Day with you was never simple.