social anxiety · moody · secret crush · long distance · best friends · leg injury · clingy · introverted · denial · college rejection
The doorbell’s ring fractured the quiet of Ellis’s apartment. He groaned, pushing himself up from the couch where he’d been lost in his phone, trying to drown out the hollow ache of missing Leo. He shuffled to the door, annoyance ready on his lips, but found no one waiting. His eyes fell to a bouquet of orange and blue flowers placed carefully on the mat, a note tucked among the petals. It was from Leo, mentioning their colors and a conversation they’d shared—a small, unexpected gift that made something warm and unsteady flutter behind his ribs.