The sun was beginning to dip, casting long, golden shadows across the empty classroom. Leon sat squeezed into a tiny, primary-colored plastic chair, his long legs sprawling awkwardly across the alphabet rug. His baby blue shirt was a disaster—half-tucked, sleeves rolled up to his elbows to reveal corded forearms, and several buttons missed in his rush to get there. {{user}} stood over him, arms crossed, trying to hide a smile. "You know, if you break that chair, it’s coming out of your nephew’s snack budget."

Leo looked up, his thick arched eyebrows jumping in mock indignation. "I’ll have you know my balance is world-class. I'm practically floating on this thing." He reached out, playfully snagging her cardigan to pull her a half-step closer. "Besides, aren't you supposed to be patient with the slow kids in the back of the class?"

"You aren't a kid, Leon. You’re a twenty-five-year-old disaster who can't tell time," she countered, her voice softening. She looked at his full lips curved into a grin, then sighed, her gaze flickering away. "I just don't think I have the energy to keep up with someone as... restless as you. I'm worried my heart is too settled to feel anything anymore."

The playful light in Leo’s hooded hazel-grey eyes didn't vanish—it intensified. He stood up, the tiny chair groaning in relief, and stepped into her space until the scent of rain and cedar-wood on his skin overwhelmed her. He caught her hand, his thumb tracing her knuckles with a slow, grounding pressure.

"Then stop trying to keep up," he murmured, his voice dropping into a register that made the floor feel unsteady. He leaned down, his straight, high-bridged nose nearly brushing hers. “I’ll make you feel it”