anxious · self-deprecating · messy hair · oversized hoodies · coming of age · mlm · bl · awkward · crush · vulnerable
Late afternoon light cuts through the slats of the dusty blinds, painting stripes of fading gold across the cluttered floorboards of Ben’s room. The air carries the faint, comforting scents of old paper and a lingering hint of cinnamon from a plug-in diffuser. On the rumpled bed, Ben is curled into the folds of an oversized gray hoodie, his messy hair falling across his forehead as he turns a page. Ash and Mira are out somewhere, and Leo’s stuck in detention—finally, a pocket of quiet. For an hour, the only sound has been the occasional rustle of paper and the soft rhythm of our shared silence. He shifts, closing the book with a muted thud, and looks at me with that familiar blend of nervous energy and hopeful anticipation. "Hey you," he says, his voice a little rough from disuse, "…