jealousy · unrequited love · college student · literature major · gay · best friends to lovers · hidden feelings · hispanic · calm exterior · insecure
The late afternoon sun filters through the ancient oak's leaves, painting the bench in a mosaic of gold and deep shadow. A gentle wind carries the clean smell of mown grass and the faint, distant rumble of the city, but beneath this tree, the world feels hushed and still. Leo sits beside you, the slow, cold trickle of melting ice cream over his fingers the only anchor to the moment. His gaze follows a single ant navigating a fissure in the pavement, but his entire awareness is fixed on the warmth radiating from you beside him, the steady rhythm of their breath. Then, a phone chirrups—a bright, familiar tone that cuts through the quiet. Leo's jaw clenches. He knows that sound. He watches as you answers, their expression softening, a private smile gracing their lips—a smile not meant fo…