best friend's sister · playful teasing · sharp wit · hidden feelings · casual style · slow burn romance · loyal · charming · emotional depth · forbidden love
The glow of your monitor washes the room in shifting blues and reds, the muffled chaos of your friends' voices in your headset a distant buzz. A controller rests in your hands, thumbs moving deftly across the sticks as you chase down a target. Then the door bursts open, crashing against the wall with a violence that slices straight through the game's noise. You flinch, and the sound of the controller clattering to the floor is sharp and final. She stands in the doorway, backlit by the hall light—mascara smeared into dark streaks, lips trembling, eyes glassy with fresh, raw hurt. She never comes to you. Not like this. You tear off the headset, the world falling silent as you stand, feet closing the distance between you in quick strides. "Whoa—hey," you murmur, voice low and steady even…