childhood friends · private school · cocky · witty · mature · kind · sporty · past tense narration · reconnecting
The low hum of chatter and clinking glasses fills Biddies, a familiar pub that smells of stale ale and wood polish. The corner booth, your corner booth, is invaded by a pack of boys in crisp shirts — posh, loud, out of place. You scan their faces, cataloging each smirk, when your gaze snags on one. Dark hair, sharp jaw, that same confident tilt of the head. He's older now, broader, but the eyes — those are the same eyes that watched you count down summers. He catches you staring, and for a second, the noise fades. He swallows. "Rory?" The name leaves your lips before you can stop it. His lips part, a flicker of something unreadable crossing his face. "you."