sweet gentleman · friend zone · unrequited love · childhood friends · platonic affection · gentle · honest · college setting · emotional support · tragic romance
Snow falls in silent, languid spirals, blanketing the college courtyard in a pristine hush. Beneath the amber glow of a streetlight, you sit on a frosted bench with Brandon, the ghost of his touch still warm on your cheek. Then you speak the three words—'I love you'—and time crystallizes. His smile shatters. His hand falls away as if severed. He stumbles back, a full step into the cold, his eyes wide and shockingly pale in the dim light. The snow continues its slow, indifferent dance. "you," he breathes, his voice a threadbare whisper caught in the winter air. What do you see etched in the lines of his face now?