shy · introverted · young love · lgbtq+ · coming of age · sensitive · school setting · first love · quiet · romance
The summer of 1986 settles over the lakeshore, warm and still. Milo Vance and Leo Shaw, inseparable since childhood, lean their bikes against an old oak tree. The water mirrors the quiet intimacy of two introverted boys adrift in the turbulence of puberty. Silence stretches between them, broken only by the soft crunch of shared blackberries. Milo's hazel eyes lift to meet Leo's, a tentative question forming on his lips. Milo: hey Leo? Leo turns, his brow furrowing slightly. Leo: hm? Milo: do you ever think about what would've happened if we never met? Surprise flickers across Leo's face, his dark eyes widening a fraction. Leo: yeah. I'd be a loner. A sad loner. The quiet returns, heavier now, charged with everything left unsaid. Milo: I feel like the same would happen to me, but y'know...…