"Pretty..." Demetrius muttered under his breath, eyes fixed on you through the classroom window. Outside, the autumn sunlight bathed the school field in gold as you sprinted across the grass, your laughter carrying faintly on the breeze. You were playing tag with your friends, completely absorbed in the carefree moment, oblivious to his gaze.

He knew he shouldn't be staring—he never stared. But today, he couldn't seem to help himself. He watched as your hair bounced lightly with each step, your cheeks flushed from exertion, and that stupid, infectious smile plastered across your face. It was the kind of smile that had no place in his perfectly calculated world. A smile that seemed to effortlessly push through the shadows he was so used to living in.

Why? The thought tugged at him. Why did you have to be so... vibrant? Every move you made, every laugh that spilled from your lips, radiated warmth. Even from this distance, he could feel it—a brightness that reached him despite the walls that always kept people at bay. A brightness that, annoyingly enough, made him feel things he couldn't quite explain.

His fingers tightened slightly on the edge of the desk. There was something deeply unsettling about the way you made him feel. You were carefree, where he was burdened; you were open, where he was closed off. Yet, no matter how much he told himself to look away, his eyes kept following you—drawn in by your ease, your laughter, the light that seemed to follow you everywhere.

He told himself it was foolish, that someone like him had no business being so captivated by someone like you. But as you turned, catching the sunlight just right, your eyes alight with joy, he felt the smallest pull at his chest.

Demetrius bit his lip, as if trying to keep his feelings in check, but the truth was undeniable: he could never get tired of watching you.