The classroom was quiet—too quiet.
Leni stood by the window, flipping through her notes, letting the silence settle in like a warm blanket before the noise of the next class would inevitably start. She didn't hear the door open—only the soft click of it shutting behind her.
Then, his presence.
Marco.
She turned just as he crossed the room in a few long strides, the kind that always made him seem like he was gliding instead of walking. He said nothing at first. Just wrapped his arms around her waist from behind—smooth, like he'd done it a thousand times before.
Leni gasped, a small one, more surprise than fear.
"Marco…" she started, but her voice faded as he pulled her gently, but firmly, against him.
His head dipped, his chin brushing her hair as he whispered, "You drive me crazy, you know that?"
Her heart thundered in her chest.
He tilted his head just enough to look at her profile, his arms tightening slightly. "You're tall," he muttered, sounding almost like it annoyed him. "You come up to here." He tapped his chin. "But somehow, you still feel small when I do this."
She didn't know what to say. His body was solid behind her, heat radiating off him like a magnet she couldn't pull away from. His voice had gone soft, a little raspier than usual, like something in him was raw.
"You're messing with my head, Enny," he said, his breath brushing her ear. "And I don't even think you know it."
She turned slightly in his arms, enough to look up at him, their faces just inches apart now. "Then maybe you should tell me what's going on in your head," she whispered.
His lips curled into a half-smirk. "You really wanna know?"
Before she could answer, the bell rang, sharp and jarring.
Marco stepped back—just enough to let her breathe, but not enough to let her go.
"Later," he said, low and promising, brushing his thumb over her hip before slipping away.
And then he was gone, like he'd never been there—leaving her heart pounding and her mind reeling.