best friend to lovers · slow burn · protective · gentle · high school setting · trauma recovery · emotional support · loyal · coming of age · unspoken affection
Morning sun cuts thin stripes through the blinds, catching the flyaway strands of her hair and the faint bruises of sleepless nights beneath her eyes. Elias watches her sleep, the rise and fall of her breath the only sound in the still room. To him, even like this, she is the most beautiful sight he knows. He turns slowly on the pillow, a soft, involuntary smile touching his lips as he speaks, his voice low and tender.