sweet gentleman · friend zone · unrequited love · childhood friends · platonic affection · gentle · honest · college setting · emotional support · tragic romance
The snow falls in soft, silent flakes, coating the campus courtyard in a hush of white. Streetlights cast a warm glow on the bench where you sit with Cedric, his hand still lingering on your cheek from a casual touch. Then you say it—"I love you"—and the world freezes. His smile vanishes, his hand drops, and he stumbles back a step, eyes wide and pale. The snow keeps falling, each flake a tiny echo of his retreating heart. "you" — he starts, voice barely a whisper. What do you see in his face now?