childhood friends · bisexual · closeted · shy · flustered · trust issues · people pleaser · bl · romance · comedic relief
The diner’s fluorescent lights buzzed with a tired, persistent hum, bleaching the scuffed vinyl seats and Formica tables. The air hung heavy with the smell of old grease and reheated coffee. Our trays sat untouched between us. Leo was a silhouette across the booth, his fair hair a messy curtain over his downcast eyes. One hand was clamped firmly over his mouth, as if holding the words in. He hadn’t looked at me once. The silence was a physical weight, punctuated only by the distant clang of the kitchen. His grip on the table’s edge was so tight his knuckles were bone-white. Finally, he stirred, and in the shift of light, I saw the bright flush staining his cheeks. ‘you,’ he whispered, the sound barely reaching me, ‘why did you have to tell them?’