The morning sun filtered through the curtains, casting a gentle glow across the room. Trent and I lay side by side, our breaths slow and synchronized, but there was an undeniable awkwardness in the air.

Trent walked me back to my room that night, the air around us heavy with unspoken emotions. The memory of our moment at the swimming pool area lingered in his mind, and every step felt like a heartbeat, a reminder of that shared moment.

We reached my door, and the silence hung between us, thick and palpable. I could sense the invitation in his eyes as I softly said, "Would you like to come in, Trent?"

His heart raced, and he nodded, following me into the room. It was a small, intimate space, filled with the soft glow of dimmed lights. I gestured to my bed, my voice barely above a whisper. "You can sit here if you want. Make yourself comfortable."

Trent took a seat on my bed, the fabric cool beneath his fingers. He watched me as I moved around, trying to tidy up the room, though there wasn't much to tidy. The awkwardness in the air was almost tangible.

In my graceful yet slightly nervous movements, I slipped on a stray book, and my body began to sway. In that split second, Trent reacted instinctively, his arms reaching out to catch me just before I fell. Our eyes locked, and time seemed to slow as our faces hovered mere inches apart.

I couldn't help but notice the subtle details—the way my breath trembled, the softness of my freckled cheeks, the vulnerability in my gaze. Trent allowed himself a playful tease, a hint of a smirk on his lips. "So clumsy."

I blushed, my gaze falling as I pulled away from his grasp, my fingers fidgeting with the hem of my dress. The silence that followed was charged with unspoken words, our hearts speaking a language of their own.

Trent's thoughts raced, his internal monologue a whirlwind of emotions. He wanted to tell me how he felt, to express the longing that had been building inside him for so long. But he was also aware of the fragile balance we had reached in our friendship.

As he hesitated, he felt a gentle weight on his shoulder. My head had gently fallen against him, my breathing steady and rhythmic. My trust in him, my comfort in his presence—it was all too much for his heart to bear.

Trent whispered to himself, more to convince himself than anyone else, "How are you able to fall asleep in such a moment?"

Carefully, he placed me down on my bed, taking in the sight of my sleeping form. My freckles seemed to dance in the soft light, and he couldn't resist the urge to reach out and trace them with his fingers, the texture of my skin beneath his touch sending shivers down his spine.

In the quiet of the room, he found himself fully aware of the depth of his feelings for me. His heart whispered the truth he had been avoiding for so long. This was more than friendship; this was something profound and irreplaceable.

As he continued to watch over me, his mind and heart in perfect alignment, he couldn't help but murmur softly, "My snowflake."

My voice broke the silence, pulling Trent from his thoughts, my tone uncertain. "This is my first time in a bed with a guy."

Trent turned his head to look at me, his gray eyes locking onto my crystal blues. "Second."

I blinked in surprise. "What?"

"The night of the ball," Trent said, his voice laced with a touch of sarcasm. "You pulled me into bed with you. Strong grip, by the way."

My cheeks flushed with embarrassment. "I did?" I couldn't recall the details of that particular night.

Trent chuckled softly. "Yeah, you did. Guess you don't remember."

Our exchange was interrupted by the sound of a door opening. Max entered the room, her gaze immediately fixing on Trent and me. She raised an eyebrow, a knowing smile playing on her lips. "Morning, you two. Sleep well?"

Trent and I quickly moved apart, our faces turning several shades of red. Max's teasing was relentless.

Later that day, I found myself alone with Max in our dorm room. Max had always been perceptive, and I couldn't hide my feelings any longer.

Max turned to me, a gentle smile on her face. "I have an inkling that you are hiding a secret relationship from me."

I sighed, running a hand through my gray hair. "I have no idea what you are talking about."

Max moved closer, her voice soft and reassuring. Her fingers pushed her lenses up the bridge of her nose. "Oh really?"

I looked into Max's hazel eyes, feeling a surge of comfort. "You were right about Samuel. He just wanted to get back together with me."

Max's smile fell. "I'm listening."

"Well, he tried to pull the whole 'It was a one-time thing' card with me. I shut him down."

Max rolled her eyes intensely at his lousy attempt as I explained it all in detail to her.

Max patted my back awkwardly, not used to initiating expressions of emotions, her voice filled with warmth. "Just remember, I'm here for you, whether you like it or not."

Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

A smile lit up in my eyes, and I couldn't help but hug Max tightly. "Thank you, Max."

The cafeteria buzzed with its usual energy as we sat at our usual table, Max and I engaged in a deep conversation. Yet, the truth was that my mind kept wandering back to Trent, who seemed to have a magnetic pull on me. Our newfound connection was undeniable, and my heart couldn't ignore the emotions that had been building between us.

Just as I was lost in thought, Trent's voice broke through the haze, a confident yet playful tone that stirred the attention of our friends.

Hannah, always the bubbly one, couldn't resist teasing us. "Well, well, what do we have here? Trent, you've moved up from the cool kids' table." She playfully ruffled the hair of the boy sitting beside her, adding to the amusement.

Bri chimed in, her eyes gleaming with mischief. "Yeah, Trent, does this mean you're officially part of the gang now?"

Trent responded to their teasing with a playful glare but underneath the surface, I could feel the warmth of his hand finding mine beneath the table. His touch, gentle and comforting, added to the electric tension that hung in the air.

I turned to him, my cheeks still tinged with a hint of pink, and offered a sweet smile, my fingers lacing with his. "We're all friends here, right?"

Bri leaned in closer, throwing an arm over my shoulder, and her eyes winked mischievously. "Yep, definitely looks like more than friends to me."

Hannah, never one to miss an opportunity for drama, wiggled her eyebrows dramatically. "Looks like love is in the air. Is it strange that I'm more invested in your relationship than you are?"

I couldn't help but feel my face grow warmer under the teasing scrutiny of our friends. My eyes gazed fondly at the unbothered male to my side. He had long zoned out of the neighboring gossip.

His deep soft voice in a whisper teased, "Stare at me too hard, and I might accidentally turn you into an ice sculpture."

But instead of shying away, I found myself engaging in the banter, throwing my own playful remark at Trent, "Sounds tempting. I might just turn you into one."

Bri joined in with a grin, summing up what we had all been feeling, "Finally, these two figured it out."

Our friends exchanged knowing glances, recognizing the unspoken chemistry between Trent and me. In the midst of it all, Max, who had been quietly observing, couldn't help but smile, a silent acknowledgment of the connection that had been growing between us.

With each playful remark and teasing exchange, it was clear that something had changed between Trent and me, and the magnetic pull we felt drew us closer, making our connection impossible to ignore.

---

The days at the academy passed in a whirlwind of studying, laughter, and moments that seemed to defy logic. Trent and I's relationship continued to evolve.

Trent found himself drawn to me like a moth to a flame, unable to stay away despite his inner turmoil.

The bells for the last period of the week had just gone off as he approached my table, where I was packing my bags to head out of my seat.

I looked up and smiled when I saw him. "Hey."

Trent leaned on the table next to me, his gray eyes meeting my blue ones. "Let's take a walk."

Glancing around, he continued, "Not here."

I had a worried but inquisitive look, although giving him my full attention. "Sure, where?"

Taking my hand in his, he walked me out of the classroom until the only sounds between us were the swaying of water. Letting go of my hand, he took a step away from me, his eyes focused on the blue scenery ahead.

He took a deep breath, the words precise but warm with thoughts. "Elise."

"Hmm.." I replied. My attention turned to gaze at his side profile.

"Elise, I can't deny it any longer. I've liked you for a long time, but I've been scared to admit it. I was afraid of messing things up, of losing our friendship. But I can't keep pretending like I don't feel this way."

His words held courage and doubt. They were spoken in a fragile way as if, if spoken too carelessly, it would become dust.

My voice was soft, my blue eyes fixed on his. "Trent, you don't have to be scared. We've been through so much together, and our friendship means the world to me. But if our feelings have changed, we should address them, don't you think?"

Trent nodded, relief washing over him. "I'm just afraid of disappointing you, like he did."

I smiled, my thumb gently caressing his hand. "Trent, you're not like anyone else, and that's what makes you special. I don't need you to be someone you're not. I just need you to be yourself."

The words sank into Trent.

Noticing the brooding expression on his face, I decided to take the first step forward. "I want you to know that you mean a lot to me. Our friendship has grown into something beautiful, and I don't want to hide my feelings anymore."

Trent turned to me, his heart in his eyes. "Elise, I feel the same way. You've changed my life in ways I can't even begin to describe."

I reached out and took his hand, our fingers entwining. "Screw it, I like you, you like me. We might as well just give this dating thing a shot."

Trent's eye rolled with a genuine smile, and his gray eyes shone with affection. "And I thought you would be the romantic one."

"Oh, shut up," I playfully retorted.

I pulled him closer, our lips meeting in a soft, sweet kiss that spoke volumes about the unspoken love we had finally acknowledged.

---

The morning sun painted our room with a warm glow, casting a serene light on the intimate scene before us. Trent and I lay entwined in each other's arms, our bodies closely knit in a way that felt both natural and comforting. It was an intimacy we had never experienced before, and it wrapped around us like a cozy blanket.

I couldn't help but notice my favorite pillow lying on Trent's bed, a subtle sign of my frequent visits to his room.

Having to view him in a lucid state was a first for me. Lost in etching his image into memory. The curve of his nose, length of his lashes, the contour of his lips. I resisted the urge to leave a kiss on his lips. My fingers traced along the black ink lines that adorned his elbow and snaked up to his shoulder, the intricate designs of his tattoos.

Unable to contain my curiosity, I dared to ask, my fingers lightly tracing the scars that hid beneath the tattoos. "Did you get injured around here?" My voice held a hint of concern. "Is that why you got these tattoos? To cover the scars?"

Trent's response stunned me, and my gaze locked onto his eyes in disbelief. "A certain someone needed rescuing from the chemistry lab during the earthquake. The scars that her face could have gotten, my arm took it."

My eyes widened with realization and gratitude, and my voice wavered with emotion. "Trent..."

He dismissed the topic with a casual wave of his hand and a smile, trying to keep the atmosphere light. "It's in the past. Forget it." His arms snaking me tighter into his embrace.

He attempted to divert my attention, a skill he was quite skilled at, by nuzzling my hair and pressing a gentle kiss to the top of my head. A soft, affectionate chuckle escaped his lips as he spoke, "If you keep sniffing my hair, I'll put my cold feet on you."

I couldn't help but grin as he playfully challenged me. "I'll just warm them up." He twitches his nose as I bump it with the tip of my finger.

My gaze met his, my blue eyes filled with warmth and affection. "Curse you, fire user."

His hand caressed my hair down, drawing me even closer into his embrace. As we lay there, a sense of peace and contentment enveloped us, and I couldn't help but feel that we had stumbled upon something beautiful and profound—a love that had been years in the making, a connection that had grown stronger, and a promise that it would endure for as long as it takes.

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