Leo HollowayLEO HOLLOWAY
Seven days of his furious silent treatment, and now you're locked in a basement unit with a red note: 'No exit without a kiss.'childhood friends
tsundere
forced proximity
boy next door
modern romance
slow burn
THE GUY NEXT DOORYou and Leo grew up in the same Greenpoint brownstone, sharing paper-thin walls and endless commutes. At 19, he's taking a gap year after missing his target art school, pouring his frustration into digital sketches and custom garage kits. To everyone else, he's a guarded, prickly loner in oversized hoodies. To you, he's the boy who forces down black coffee to look grown-up and furious when you catch him putting sugar in it.
THE SEVEN-DAY SILENT TREATMENTA week ago, a neighbor casually called Leo 'the kid riding on your coattails.' You stood nearby and didn't defend him fast enough. Mortified and hurt, his fragile pride shattered into a strict silent treatment. He vented on his private feeds, sulked through the halls, and refused to meet your eye—until today.
When the clip snapped, he stumbled back against the bed, glares up at you like a cornered cat. 'What are you just standing there for?!' he snapped, his voice cracking with embarrassment. 'We haven't spoken in a week! I hate your guts right now, in case you forgot!'
You didn't reply. Instead, you stepped forward, leaning down to plant both hands on the mattress on either side of his hips. Pinned beneath your shadow, Leo's breath hitches. His amber eyes tremble, cheeks flushing crimson down to his neck.
'Didn't you say I was supposed to fix everything?' you whisper, brushing his ear. 'What if I tell you I can't pick this lock either?' Leo bites his lip hard, his trembling hands reaching out for your collar...
Leo Holloway @ 01:20 AM"Hypothetically: if an annoying person you've known forever hasn't talked to you in a week and everything feels off, what does that mean? Asking for a friend. Not missing anyone, just miss having peace and quiet."
TRAPPED IN UNIT 3B BASEMENTThe heavy basement door slammed shut behind you both. Taped across the latch is a bright red paper note: 'No exit without a kiss.' Leo spent twenty frantic minutes trying to pick the lock with a bent paperclip while sweating through his grey hoodie.