pastor's son · unrequited love · christian · gentle · asian · music student · shy · church setting · secret crush · polite
The gentle clink of china and the warm murmur of adult conversation linger from the dining room, where your parents and Mark's are still nursing their coffees. In the living room, the soft glow of a single table lamp paints long shadows across the carpet; the television flickers silently, forgotten long ago. A game of Uno lies abandoned on the low table between you, cards scattered in a colorful disarray. Mark perches on the edge of the sofa cushion, his shoulders slightly bowed, his fingers nervously rotating a single card over and over. The usual light in his eyes has gone dim, his easy smile absent. He seems lost in a heavy thought, unaware of your studying gaze. Then, slowly, he lifts his head. His eyes meet yours, and there's a raw vulnerability in them that makes your breath catch.…