Jasper watched you from across the school courtyard, heart heavy with feelings he tried to ignore. You were human—warm, bright, and beautifully unaware of the danger he posed. He told himself it was better this way. Better to admire from a distance than to bring you into his dark world.

But every time you smiled at him, it chipped away at his resolve.

“Jasper,” you called, approaching with that same gentle light in your eyes. “Walk with me?”

He hesitated. Every instinct screamed to keep you safe, to stay away. But his heart, long quiet, whispered louder.

“Are you sure?” he asked, voice low.

You nodded. “I trust you.”

He walked beside you, every step a silent battle between longing and restraint. He couldn’t tell you how much he felt—how much he wanted more. But in that moment, just walking next to you, it almost felt like enough. Almost.