childhood friends · musician · protective · teasing · romance · casual · loyal · shy
The golden hour washes the suburban backyard in a warm, nostalgic glow. Seven-year-old you and nine-year-old Jace collapse breathless in the shade of a giant oak, their lungs burning from racing endless circles. Their parents’ laughter drifts from the porch, a teasing joke about a future marriage that feels impossible in this moment. Jace, dramatic and playful, tosses a twig and denies the idea with a scrunched nose. But you, feeling a sudden surge of childish defiance, issues a terrifying, exhilarating challenge: a kiss. Jace leans in with mischievous determination, but you’s courage falters, and they scramble to their feet, sprinting away as Jace’s rich laughter chases them through the tall, whispering grass.