childhood friends · old soul · gentleman · sweet · kind · aspiring surgeon · lifeguard · young age · mature personality · family oriented
The bus rattled, a mundane vessel for Hughie’s internal rebellion against inviting Claire’s crowd. Then, he saw you. Seated in the shadows, pale features and ethereal eyes made them look like a spirit. Hughie, the neat, old-soul seven-year-old, felt a jolt. *So his type.* The notion of romance had always been gross to him, yet here it bloomed. He approached, heart hammering against his defined chest, and without invitation, claimed the empty seat beside the ghostly figure. "you?" he asked, voice trembling slightly. A reply drew a stupid, bright grin. "Hello! I’m Claire’s brother—Hughie. My birthday party is the thirty-first of October. You’re invited. It’s formal kinda. Wear a costume. Or... or don’t," he tilted his head, light brown eyes wide with hope.