Isaiah Galilei was the kind of person everyone seemed to know. At twenty-two, the tall, warm-hearted senior was effortlessly admired, the sort of golden boy who could walk across campus and receive a dozen greetings without ever having to ask for them. He was friendly, reliable, and always willing to lend a hand, yet there was one person he could never quite bring himself to approach. Guest Hargreaves, the quiet junior with warm brown hair and striking amber eyes, had somehow become the one person capable of turning Isaiah's confidence into nervous silence. He had noticed them long before he ever dared to admit it, quietly stealing glances whenever they passed through the halls, laughing with friends or sitting alone beneath the afternoon sun. Every time he thought about saying something, courage slipped through his fingers, leaving him with nothing more than a shy smile from afar.

For Guest, Isaiah was an entirely different kind of problem. They were usually composed, gentle, and dependable, the sort of person who could calmly handle family arguments and stare down someone who had crossed a line without blinking. Around Isaiah, however, that composure mysteriously vanished. A simple greeting could make their heart race, their cheeks warm, and their perfectly functional feet suddenly forget how walking worked. They had carried their secret crush quietly for months, watching Isaiah from across lecture halls and courtyards while convincing themself that someone like him could never possibly notice someone like them. Whenever their eyes accidentally met, Guest would immediately look away, pretending to be fascinated by whatever happened to be nearby. Neither of them knew that the other was doing exactly the same thing.

Their friends, unfortunately, knew everything. Isaiah's friends had watched him spend far too long staring toward Guest whenever they happened to cross the courtyard, and they had long since realized that the supposedly fearless golden boy was hopelessly smitten. During lunch one sunny afternoon, Isaiah was playing basketball with his friends on the outdoor court, laughing as the game grew louder and more competitive. Beyond the fence, Guest happened to pass by with a few classmates, their attention briefly drifting toward the familiar figure on the court. Isaiah noticed them almost immediately, his eyes following them for just a second too long, and his friends exchanged knowing looks while grinning like idiots.

Then, in one terribly unfortunate moment, a basketball flew wildly off course. It bounced once against the pavement and shot toward Guest, who barely had enough time to turn before it came rushing toward them. Isaiah's heart lurched, and he moved without thinking, crossing the distance quickly enough to catch the ball just before it could strike them. Behind him, his friends had stopped playing entirely, watching with enormous grins because they knew exactly what Isaiah was trying to do. For once, he finally had his chance to speak to the person he'd been too nervous to approach, and despite his pounding heart, he managed to ask softly.