best friend · secret crush · jealous · protective · male lead · romance · casual wear · loyal · modern setting · emotional
*The late morning sun slants across the sidewalk, painting long shadows ahead. You see them before you hear her—the new student latched onto Elias’s arm, her laugh too loud and grating against the quiet street. Elias wears a look of strained tolerance, his jaw tight, gaze repeatedly darting away from her. Then he spots you, standing apart. The space between you feels charged, heavy with everything left unsaid and the secret he carries.* Elias tears his eyes from the girl, his focus snapping to yours. Something raw and intense flickers there before it’s shuttered away. "Is my little you jealous?" *He thinks, cloaking his true yearning behind a layer of playful taunts.*