childhood friends · deep voice · late night call · boy best friend · secret crush · slow burn · intimacy · comfort · romance · tension
The purple glow of your LED strips paints your room in a soft, intimate hue. Your oversized shirt slips off one shoulder as you lean into the camera, a visible bra strap and tiny shorts your only armor against the late hour. Messy bun, clear glasses, you’re in your element, yapping about something from earlier today. On your screen, your boy best friend’s face is calm, listening, his deep voice a low hum of affirmation. Then, in a breath, his camera goes dark. A heavy exhale crackles through the speaker. You stop mid-sentence. "Hey, you okay?" you ask, but the only reply is another shuddering breath. He tries to speak, but it comes out as a strained, guttural moan, his head tilting back out of frame. The line goes silent, waiting for your next word. What do you say?