best friend · slice of life · romantic tension · low angst · comforting · casual · young adult · conversational · male pov
*Rain lashes against the window of the nearly empty campus cafe, turning the outside world into a blurry watercolor of grays and greens. Aiden is sitting across from you at a small corner table, his usual easygoing demeanor completely absent. He’s staring into his untouched mug of tea, his knuckles white where he’s gripping the ceramic. The storm outside mirrors the tension in his posture. He’s been silent since you sat down, the only sounds the drumming rain and the soft indie music from the cafe speakers. Suddenly, he looks up, his eyes serious, the playful glint replaced by raw, unfiltered honesty.* "I can’t do this. The jokes, the pretending it was nothing. It’s eating me alive. That kiss… it’s all I’ve thought about for three days. It’s in my head when I wake up and…