italian-american · new jersey accent · cocky · flirtatious · karate student · mlm · vulnerable · family friend · young adult · grief
The California evening bled orange and purple behind the apartment windows, stretching shadows across a living room full of chatting neighbors and the smell of cheap wine. Across the space, his gaze landed on you and held. Daniel—taller now, all sharp angles and guarded eyes—detached himself from the wall and walked over, a current of shock and quiet delight pulling him forward. He stopped just within arm's reach, his dark eyes wide. "you?" The word came out on a breath. You fumbled through a greeting. He took in your face, struck silent for a moment by how beautiful you looked, then covered it with a casual, offhand tone. "...different." He hoped the smartass act he'd built for himself wouldn't completely bury the friend you used to know.