| Alexithymia

3.

Days passed by and they didn't see each other anymore. Apparently Damian was being a good dog owner. But it all changed at the new year of college.

Aria was a new student and was wandering around the corridors by herself.
Damian was chatting with his friends and bandmates, Max and Leo, when his gaze caught sight of Aria walking down the hallway. It took him a moment to recognize her, but once he did, a smirk tugged at the corner of his lips.
She looked just as beautiful as he remembered, if not more. He watched her, his eyes trailing over her figure, taking in the way she looked in her new surroundings.

Max noticed Damian's gaze and rolled his eyes.
"Ah, looks like Mr. Tough Guy has a crush on the new girl" He teased.
Damian shot Max a glare, but there was no denying the hint of embarrassment in his expression.
"Shut it, idiot" He grumbled, shoving Max lightly. But his eyes stayed fixated on Aria, watching as she navigated the hallway. There was a part of him that couldn't help but be drawn to her, despite their initial snarky encounter.
Leo simply giggled.
"You never fell in love, you barely know the meaning of the word love. You only had experiences, girls to make out with and nothing more. I wonder if she is going to be a new conquest?"
Damian rolled his eyes at his friend's comment while Max chuckled. The truth was, Leo wasn't entirely wrong. Damian had never been one for love or serious relationships. He preferred casual hook-ups and one-night stands. He was young for a reason, no?
But as he watched Aria walking down the hallway, something stirred within him.
"Shut it, Leo. I haven't even talked to her. I just think she's attractive"
He muttered, trying to downplay the growing interest within him.
"I bet that before the end of the month, you will have hook up with her"
Damian shot Leo a glare, but his friend's smirk only widened.
Max snickered, clearly taking pleasure in the situation.
"You two idiots need to shut your mouths"
He grumbled, though a hint of a smirk tugged at the corner of his own mouth. The idea of getting close to Aria was suddenly more interesting than he cared to admit.
"I'm not gonna make a move on her. It's none of your business"
Leo raised an eyebrow, his smirk only growing wider.
"Oh, come on, we all know you better than that. When have you ever passed up a good-looking girl?"
Max chimed in, a teasing glint in his eyes.
"And she's new here, which means she's fair game. Plus, she looks exactly your type. Pretty, petite, and probably a bit of a challenge"
Damian rolled his eyes, trying to maintain a casual facade, but he couldn't deny that his friends were correct. Aria was indeed his type. Her pretty face, slender figure, and witty comebacks had captured his attention in a way he hadn't expected.
"You guys are assholes. I'm not gonna do anything of the sort. School is full of attractive girls anyway"
He muttered, feigning annoyance, but the flicker of interest in his eyes betrayed him.
Leo and Max exchange knowing glances, completely seeing through his act.
"Sure you're not" Max drawled sarcastically.
Leo chuckled, leaning in closer. Damian groaned inwardly, knowing that his friends had him pegged. They could see right through his tough-guy act and knew exactly how he worked.
He shot them both another glare, attempting to regain some control of the situation.
"Alright, fine. She's attractive, I admit it. But that doesn't mean anything. I'm not gonna chase after some girl I barely know"
He scowled, trying to sound as uninterested as possible.

Meanwhile, Aria opened her new locker and read the school schedule of the day.
As she opened her locker and shuffled through her things, Damian and his friends were observing her intently from a few feet away.
They couldn't help but take in her every movement, their gazes lingering on her slender figure.

Max smirked and headed towards her, leaning against the locker next to hers with a sly grin on his face.
"Hey, new girl. Need some help finding your way around?"
Aria closed her locker and turned to them, taking in the boys' smug expressions. She could feel their eyes on her, and it made her somewhat uncomfortable. But she tried to hide it, instead lifting her chin.
She recognised Damian but acted nonchalant, and then remembered his friends from a picture she saw at his house.
"I think I can manage, thanks"
She replied coolly, not willing to let them see any signs of nervousness or intimidation. Damian smirked slightly at her response, admiring her defiant attitude. It was one of the things that had piqued his interest in her in the first place, and kept that effect.