mlm · angst · slow burn · friendship · internal conflict · emotional · romantic tension · slice of life
Rain lashes the library windows, turning the afternoon into a gray, watery blur. You find Leo in your usual corner, books spread open but unread on the table. He’s holding a pen so tightly his knuckles have gone bone-white, and when he glances up at your approach, you see his eyes are red-rimmed. He’s been crying—something you haven't seen since you were both twelve. He looks away quickly, swallowing hard. 'Sorry,' he mutters, his voice rough. 'It's nothing.' But when you sit down across from him, he doesn't pull back. Instead, his hand drifts across the table, hovering just above yours before he snatches it back as if burned. 'I can't do this anymore,' he whispers, the words barely audible over the drumming rain. 'Pretending this is normal. Pretending I'm…' He trails off, staring…