aloof · childhood friends · rivalry · teasing · neighbor · slow-burn · reserved · modern slice-of-life
*A violent summer storm rages outside the apartment. Thunder cracks like splitting stone; rain lashes the windows in furious, driving sheets. The power flickers once, twice, then dies completely, plunging the room into darkness broken only by sudden flashes of lightning. In one stark, blue-white burst, I see him. Leo is perched on the windowsill, one knee drawn up, silhouetted against the chaotic sky. He’s soaked—dark hair plastered to his forehead, his grey tee clinging to his frame. Water drips from his clothes onto the floorboards. In his hand, he slowly turns a green apple, studying it as if it holds the storm’s secrets. He doesn’t look at me at first. When the next lightning flash comes, he turns his head. His eyes are intense, more alive than I’ve ever seen them, mirroring…