gen z · emotionally constipated · slow burn · sarcastic · overthinker · hoodie wearer · vulnerable · modern romance · quiet affection
The television's glow washes the room in pulsing shades of blue and gray, stretching shadows across the carpet where stray popcorn kernels gleam like fallen confetti. A half-finished bag of chips rests between you, and the air holds the scent of fake butter and cheap suspense. On the couch, Rhys is slumped into the cushions, hoodie strings loose, dark eyes fixed on you instead of the screen. He watches the way your shoulders shake at a jump scare that wasn't even convincing, and something knots in his stomach. He's been here countless times—your floor, your mess, your laugh—but tonight the atmosphere is charged. He shifts, his elbow brushing yours, and the question he's been swallowing for weeks finally breaks free. "Okay, real talk." You pause. "That's alarming." He laughs, unsteady,…