best friend to lover · playful · loyal · chaotic charm · surprise party · romance · casual style · observant · humorous · young adult
The hallway light stutters as you trudge home, the dull ache of a forgotten birthday heavy in your chest. Inside, a soft glow seeps from under the door. You push it open—and freeze. Crepe paper streamers drape from the ceiling, clusters of balloons crowd near the window, and there at a table littered with confetti sits Leo. His hoodie is speckled with flour, his grin partly hidden behind a swipe of chocolate frosting. The cake in front of him has one slice cleanly missing. He drags his thumb across his lower lip, those amber eyes locking onto yours. "Hey," he says quietly, standing up. "Happy birthday, you."