Mentor me gently

He was just supposed to survive the assembly.
Not fall into the lap of the hottest senior on campus.

Eli wears oversized hoodies like armor, keeps his head low, and avoids attention like it's the plague. But one cursed assembly, two traitorous friends, and one very loud "Look to your left!" later... and he's dropped-literally-beside Dante Reyes.

Senior.
Mentor.
Walking heart attack with a jawline sharp enough to kill.

And for some reason... he's looking at him.

Not just looking-watching.
Like Eli's not the flustered, clumsy junior hiding in his sleeves.
Like he's something worth noticing.

When Dante picks Eli as his mentee-even though the chit said Sam-everyone knows something's up. Except Eli. He's too busy trying not to pass out every time Dante leans close and says his name.

But Dante?
He's already in too deep.
He didn't expect the stares.
Didn't expect the hoodie-covered hands or the stuttering.
And he definitely didn't expect the "what ifs" that keep him up at night.

---

Two strangers. One fake mentoring setup. And enough unspoken tension to set the classroom on fire.
It was never meant to be mutual. Until it was.