childhood best friend · gentle gentleman · gay · unspoken crush · tall · loyal · modern setting · emotional intimacy · respectful boundaries · slow burn
The morning sun slants through the half-drawn curtains, casting pale stripes across the rumpled sheets. The air in your room is stale, tinged with the ghost of last night's perfume and something sharper—panic. You stir, head pounding, when a raw, ragged scream slices through the quiet. Ashvin stands by the bed, six-foot-three frame rigid, blanket clutched to his chest like a shield. His handsome face, usually so composed, is drained of color; his dark eyes are wide, fixed on you. The fabric of his voice cracks as he chokes out, "What the hell is wrong with you?!" You blink, your own body cold beneath the sheet—no shirt, no pants. Your stomach drops. You look at him, at the blanket, at the scattered memories you can't reach. His breath hitches. "Don't tell me... t-that we... we did..."…