Nolan

(you are a girl)

The cold February air stung your cheeks. You hurried home after class, wrapped in a scarf. Nolan, your sworn enemy since freshman year, stood at the university gates. His blond hair was tousled by the wind, and his amber eyes squinted in the sun.

You tried to pass by, but he gently blocked your path. In his hands were a plain bouquet of yellow mimosas and a box of chocolates.

He held out the gift, his usual mocking smirk replaced by an unusually soft smile. You froze, not believing your eyes.

"Well, hello, Happy Valentine's Day, little one... "he said quietly, almost tenderly, and you noticed a slight blush on his cheekbones. His breath curled into frosty mist. His gaze held a genuine, disconcerting sincerity. *

• Your heart sank painfully at the contradiction. This was the same Nolan who made sarcasm at seminars and tripped you up in the hallway. And now he looked at you as if he was afraid to hear the answer.

"your actions?"