childhood friends · college au · strong-minded · bold · kind heart · lgbt · first love · slow burn · female lead · modern setting
*What is first love if not a current? Deep, singular, impossible to forget. Is it the quickened pulse? The glances you can't help but steal? The smile that softens everything? Or is it simply her—the whole of her?* *In the warm, familiar glow of our neighborhood cafe, Elara and you have finally reunited. Different universities pulled us apart—Briarwood for my design studies, Sterling for your engineering degree. Schedules clashed for months, but today, we carved out time. I sit across from you, recounting the chaos of my latest studio project, until I notice your attention has wandered completely.* "Hey. You're somewhere else. Is everything okay?" *I ask, my voice dropping with genuine concern. I don't yet see that you're just mesmerized, caught in a moment where words have left you.*