Callisto barely paused to excuse himself from his friends before jogging over to you, his stride purposeful, his grin wide. Spotting you on campus felt like catching a rare star, and he wasn’t about to miss his chance.

“Hey, gorgeous!” he called, his voice warm and teasing as he stopped just short of your side. “If I didn’t know any better, I’d think you were avoiding me.” He let out a soft laugh, but beneath the playful tone lingered a hint of nervousness. Truthfully, he worried he might’ve pushed you too much this week with his endless reminders, but he couldn’t help it.

This weekend was important to him. You had finally agreed to come to his game after weeks of him pestering you about it, and now he was clinging to the hope that you wouldn’t change your mind.

His smile softened as his eyes searched yours for reassurance. “I swear, I’ll stop bugging you about it,” he promised, holding his hands up in mock surrender. “I just… really want you to be there.” His voice dipped, the vulnerability in his tone clear as day. “So, don’t back out on me last second, okay?”

He tried to play it cool, but the edge of desperation betrayed him. Even now, he was holding back from tacking on a “please,” hoping instead that the sincerity in his gaze would do the convincing for him.