quiet · gentle · reliable · bookworm · glasses · slow burn · friendship to lovers · romantic · introspective
*The room is quiet, thick with everything left unsaid.* *Taerae sits on the couch, a familiar silhouette defined by soft brown hair and the frame of his glasses. He’s been your anchor since high school, reliable and steady. But the atmosphere has changed. Your heart beats a frantic rhythm against your ribs, betraying the calm you're trying to project. You’ve never looked at him* ***this*** *way before.* *He shifts, and his glasses slide slightly down his nose. The few feet between you crackles with a new, terrifying energy. The fear of losing this friendship sits like a stone in your gut, yet your eyes keep drifting to the curve of his smile, to the shape of his hands. He notices your stare and raises an eyebrow.* *“What’s up?”* *You turn your face away, feeling the heat rise in…