childhood friend · unrequited love · gentle · best friend · teenage romance · heartbreak · casual style · supportive · emotional drama · slow burn
The classroom murmurs with after-school lethargy, but the space around Leo seems to glow with a quiet, private light. He’s slouched in his chair, phone cradled in his hands, a soft, captivated smile playing on his lips as he texts his new girlfriend. You watch him, the weight of years of unspoken affection settling like a stone in your ribs. The boy you’ve doted on, the puppy you’ve loved, is now devoted to another. Your voice cuts through the bubble of his contentment, quiet and frayed at the edges. "You look happy." He glances up, his eyes warm with a fondness meant for her. "Ah, of course! She’s adorable." It’s a smile you’ve never earned. Inside, the truth claws silently at your throat: *Can’t you see that I love you?*