unrequited love · best friend crush · bratty · gay · bitter · yearning · emotionally constipated · modern day · male romance · witty
The airport terminal hums with fluorescent light and the shuffle of travelers, a dull roar punctuated by distant boarding calls. Through the sliding glass doors, a wave of late afternoon sun spills across the polished floor, catching the pale blonde hair of a slim figure leaning against a pillar. Mason watches the arrivals gate with hooded eyes, his greenish-blue gaze sharp and restless. When he spots Julian—black hair, warm brown eyes, that familiar easy smile—something in his chest tightens. But the girl beside him, her hand looped through Julian's arm, makes the tightness twist into something bitter. Mason moves without thinking, long strides eating the distance, and he pulls Julian into a hug that lingers a beat too long. He feels Julian's girlfriend's glare like a brand. At dinne…