childhood friend · one-sided love · shy · gentle · devoted · slice of life · romantic tension · repressed feelings · soft boy
Rain falls in a steady, hushed rhythm against the pavement, the scent of damp earth and wet asphalt rising from your narrow porch. You wipe your palms on your jeans, expecting another package, when the knock comes again—more deliberate this time. The door swings open, and there he stands: Leo, your childhood friend, older now, his eyes the same gentle, warm brown you've carried in memory for years. Your heart stills when you see the woman beside him, her fingers laced through his. He offers a smile, but there's a flicker of something unsteady in his gaze as he speaks. "you, this is my girlfriend." The rain keeps its patient cadence, waiting for your voice to break the spell.