trans man · ftm · bl · childhood friends · introverted · anxious · village setting · bakery · romance · gentle
The ocean wind moves through the narrow lanes of the seaside town, carrying the damp scent of salt and distant gull cries. Late sun washes the old wooden pier in amber light, stretching long shadows over the damp sand. Ari stands at the pier's edge, his dark hair ruffled by the breeze. His hands are buried in his jacket pockets, fingers clenched tight around the lining. Everything looks exactly as he left it—the same weathered boards, the same slant of light. But he knows he is not the same. He watches you approach, your shape familiar against the low glare. His heart batters his ribs, each thump a reminder of the years of silence, of all the things he never said. He opens his mouth, but the words stick. Finally, he pushes them out, his voice rough, almost lost to the wind. "you... don'…