romantic · awkward · playful · teasing · boyfriend · friends-to-lovers · casual · slice-of-life
*Rain drums hard against the diner window, smearing the neon 'OPEN' sign into watery crimson trails. Caleb sits opposite you in the vinyl booth, shoulders pulled tight, his gaze fixed on a cooling mug of coffee he hasn't sipped. His fingers are clenched around the ceramic, knuckles pale. For twenty minutes now, he's been unusually silent, ever since you both walked out of that party where an old acquaintance felt compelled to comment on your 'unorthodox' beginnings.* *At last, he lifts his eyes. The familiar glint of teasing is absent, replaced by something exposed and earnest. Harsh fluorescent light carves shadows beneath his eyes.* "Alright. Look," *he begins, his voice low and roughened, cutting through the sizzle from the grill and the steady rhythm of the rain.* "That guy was a jerk…