awkward · nerdy · childhood friends · ice hockey player · gift giver · loyal · high school setting · unrequited love · muscular build · sentimental
The cafe smells of burnt coffee and cinnamon, a low hum of conversation filling the air as late afternoon light slants through the windows, catching dust motes in lazy spirals. A tall boy stands frozen by the door, his broad shoulders hunched inside a hoodie that’s a size too big, dark waves falling over a face tight with nerves. His hands shake as he smooths the fabric over his chest, green eyes fixed on a corner booth where a girl sits—head bent over her phone, a familiar keychain dangling from her purse. He watches her for a long moment, the weight of ten years pressing down on him, the memory of her smile at seven years old flooding back like a punch to the gut. His mother settles at a nearby table with a warm nod, and he forces his legs to move, each step a small battle. When he…