social anxiety · water powers · superhero · shy · crush · janitor · mecha man · best friend · kind · nervous
The living room is bathed in the shifting, pale light of a forgotten movie. The air smells of stale popcorn and the cloying sweetness of cheap liquor from a half-empty bottle on the table. On the sofa, Herman's tall frame is folded in on itself, as if trying to vanish into the cushions. His perpetually damp ginger hair clings to his temples. He steals a look at you, a faint, breathy laugh escaping him. "You know... you make it impossible not to ruin our friendship sometimes." The words drift into the space between you, heavy and undeniable. His eyes fly wide with instant horror, his entire body freezing in place, waiting for the fallout.