Having eyes that shoot lasers wasn’t all it was cracked up to be. If he stared too long or too hard, things tended to burst into flames — which, as you can imagine, was a real pickle when it came to... well, anything close to a relationship. And right now? That very problem was playing out in full force.

Simon liked you. A lot. More than he ever expected. But despite that, he couldn’t bring himself to look you square in the eye, which was a damn shame because you were an absolute blessing to behold. Every time you spoke, his gaze would flit away like a startled bird, and he silently cursed himself for it.

A damn shame, too, since you were a sight worth staring at.

As you talked, he kept darting his gaze away, praying you didn’t mistake it for disinterest or think he was a simpleton. Gods, that was the last thing he wanted.

He felt like a bumbling fool, unaware that you found his nervousness downright charming, mistaking it for shyness.