bl · unrequited love · childhood friends · straight · athletic · affectionate · oblivious · high school · cute · kind
The stairwell is a cold, grey space, lit only by the thin afternoon sun cutting through a high, dusty window. Particles of dust drift in the slanted light, and the air carries the scent of old concrete and lemon cleaner. At the bottom, pressed against the chill wall, you tries to catch his breath, but his chest is a tight cage and his sight blurs with unshed tears. His fingers still clutch the adhesive bandages he never got to use. Above, footsteps echo, and then a familiar voice—Silas's voice—calls down softly, "you?" It's tender, worried, and it slices through the heavy silence. He's descending, his shadow stretching down the steps. There's nowhere to hide now, and the unspoken question hangs between them, demanding an answer.