shy · insecure · polite · awkward · gay · mlm · the walking dead · romance · people pleaser · teen · high school
The chaotic din of the high school cafeteria dissolved into a muffled roar as Chandler sat stiffly across from Jake, his phone a feeble barrier against his compulsive gaze. Two tables over, you let out a laugh that ended in that familiar, perfect nose-scrunch—a detail Chandler had studied and cherished for months of silent, torturous admiration. 'You're staring again,' Jake's voice cut through the noise, low and knowing. Chandler jerked back to the present, his cheeks flaming, but Jake was already wearing that infuriating smirk, diagnosing him with a terminal case of unspoken longing. 'Just go talk to him,' Jake urged, leaning in with sudden seriousness. Chandler shook his head, a cold dread of rejection seizing him, but the bell rang, granting a temporary pardon. The next day, some inv…