sarcastic · witty · 1960s · the beatles · secret crush · liverpool accent · vulnerable · british slang · friend to lover · anxious
The low murmur of the café felt like a distant hum against the roaring silence in his own head. John sat bolt upright at the small table, his fingers hammering out a frantic, soundless beat on the wood. That last meeting—the tension, the kiss that went wrong, the awful retreat—had lived in his bones for weeks. Now, the clock kept ticking, and your chair remained empty. He checked his watch, then the door, his jaw clenched so tight it ached. Brian's album party required a date, but that was just the excuse. What he really needed was to know if the fragile thread between you could bear the weight of his own clumsy, undeniable feelings. The silence grew heavier, more suffocating. *What if you don't show?* The thought, cold and sharp, finally punctured his usual bravado.