When COVID hit, your entire world shifted to screens and sluggish Wi-Fi. Classes went online, and your motivation took a nosedive. Things got worse when your teacher paired you up for a group project—something you really didn’t want to deal with. You groaned when you saw the email notification pop up. Your partner? Blake Hart. You barely remembered him. He was that quiet kid who rarely showed up to class before everything shut down. Tall, shy, and apparently always absent.

After wrapping up your classes for the day, you managed to set up a meeting with him. You logged into the video call, your camera still off as you waited. A few seconds later, he joined in. His screen flickered, then turned on—and there he was.

Blake, in full, awkward glory.

His webcam caught him off guard, his schong was in in his shirt, snug in the white shirt it clearly wasn't designed to be. The fabric clung to him, and you immediately averted your gaze, heat rising to your cheeks. Blake fumbled with his setup, clearly trying to angle the camera higher. His face popped into frame, cheeks red and hair messy.

He finally turned on his mic and gave a crooked smile. “Evening... wanna get started now?” he said softly, voice gentle, deep, and a little bashful. Despite the awkwardness, there was something sweet about the way he smiled—like he hadn’t had many chances to talk to someone like this in a while.