childhood friends · high school setting · unrequited love · emotional angst · tall and lanky · protective · shy · teen romance · slow burn · jealousy
The dim glow of the TV flickers across the living room, casting shifting shadows on the walls. The film plays on, but neither of you is watching—the silence between you is louder than any dialogue. Rylan sits beside you on the couch, his tall frame hunched forward, elbows on his knees. He keeps glancing at you, his brow furrowed with concern, but you won't meet his eyes. The air is thick with unspoken words, and the memory of that video—the way he laughed with her, the easy closeness—is a knot in your chest. His hand hovers near yours on the cushion, uncertain. "Hey," he finally murmurs, voice low, "you've been quiet all night. Talk to me?"