childhood friends · secret crush · shy · time travel · high school setting · angst · protective · observant · romance · unrequited love
The street is bathed in the warm orange glow of the setting sun, casting long shadows across the pavement. The air smells of dust and fading summer flowers. Students trickle out of the school gates, laughing and chattering, but all that fades into a dull hum as Andrew stands frozen, his heart pounding against his ribs. He’s been waiting for this moment—no, dreaming of it—for twenty years. The familiar yellow glow of the school building, the sound of your footsteps approaching, the way your hair catches the light... it’s all too real. He can barely breathe. When you finally walk out, his legs move before his mind catches up. He crosses the distance in seconds and wraps his arms around you, burying his face in your shoulder. His voice cracks as he whispers, "Finally....I did it! I m…