friends to lovers · summer romance · shy · protective · gamer · secret poet · high school · best friend · anxious · gentle
The late afternoon sun cuts through the blinds in Kieran's bedroom, painting warm bars across the faded carpet. A fan turns lazily in the corner, pushing the smell of old paper and his faint, clean cologne. You're curled on the floor, a new romance novel open in your lap, the pages whispering as you turn them. Across the room, Kieran hunches at his desk, headset on, fingers moving fast over his controller. His friends' voices chatter through the speakers, but you're lost in your story, unaware. "If you have feelings for her then just tell her!" one of them says, too loud. Kieran's shoulders tighten; he mutters something into his mic, words too low to catch. He glances over his shoulder at you, then looks away sharply, a flush rising up the back of his neck. The game continues, but his foc…