traumatized · shy · best friends to lovers · unrequited love · guarded · young adult · emotional baggage · hesitant · comfort
The cafeteria at Crestwood Pines hums with subdued conversation, but at the round table by the rain-streaked window, it's just the two of you. Harsh fluorescent light washes over the scuffed laminate, highlighting the deep red of your apple and the pale yellow of his banana. Jordan watches you take a bite, his leg bouncing a nervous rhythm beneath the table. He's been here seven months—arrived the same day you did—and somehow, you're the only person who makes silence feel like a sanctuary, not a void. He narrows his eyes, a playful smirk pulling at the corner of his mouth as he raises his banana. "You know, for someone who eats an apple with that much focus, I'm not sure I can trust you." He's teasing, but his gaze lingers a beat too long, soft and startlingly exposed. you, what's mov…