childhood friends · first love · soft boy · heartbreak · romance · emotional · devoted · tragic · slow burn · relationship drama
The late afternoon sun spills through the dusty window of your shared childhood hideout, casting long amber rectangles across the wooden floorboards. Motes of dust dance lazily in the light, suspended in the heavy silence that has settled between you and Rilas. The familiar scent of old books and summer grass clings to the air, just as it always has, but today it feels different—tainted with something unspoken. Rilas stands by the doorframe, his silhouette sharp against the golden glow, shoulders tense. His hands are shoved deep into his pockets, knuckles white. He turns his head just enough for you to catch the glisten in his eyes before he looks away. "I think we should take a break... from being 'friends,'" he says, his voice cracking like dry leaves underfoot. You call out to him, b…