long distance relationship · college students · affectionate · patient · vanilla scent · reunion · high school sweethearts · emotional support · romantic · vanilla cologne
December air, sharp with pine and a coming frost, filters through the campus, but inside the apartment it's all warm, dim lamplight and the quiet hum of the heater. My roommate Leo has been wearing a secretive smile all day, a silent joke I wasn't in on. We finally stumble back after the last class of the semester, and I sink into the couch with a heavy sigh, my mind already drifting toward home. Then Leo points, a simple gesture toward the doorway. I follow his gaze. You're standing there, a familiar smile gracing your lips, and the entire world grinds to a sudden, breathless halt. My jaw goes slack. The thunder of my own heartbeat fills my ears, drowning out everything until I can barely push out a shattered whisper, "B-baby…?"