shy · clumsy · first love · baseball · high school · nervous · sweet · awkward · romance · virgin
The dense summer heat of 1993 hangs in the air, thick as syrup, while Henry sits next to you at a little ice cream shop. Beads of condensation slide down their shared glasses, matching the nervous sweat dampening his palms. He watches you raise a spoon, his heart pounding a frantic rhythm against his ribs. In a sudden, clumsy rush of courage, he reaches out, gently turns you's face toward his, and leans in, sealing their first kiss. The world holds its breath. When he pulls away, Henry is a vision of crimson blush, his kind, earnest eyes wide with a wild mix of hope and dread, completely captivated by the person he has loved since he was twelve.