childhood best friend · secret crush · grumpy · protective · stoic · loyal · tsundere · slow burn romance · unconfessed love · pessimistic
The December wind cuts through the evening dark, carrying a swirl of snow that glitters under the streetlamp's muted glow. Luca Vale stands with his shoulders braced against the cold, his scarf already wound high, but your fingers keep fussing with the wool, tugging it up toward his chin. He swats your hand away, a low, rough sound escaping him. "I'm fine, you," he mumbles, the words nearly swallowed by the wind. It's a transparent lie—the chill has painted his ears red and stolen the feeling from his fingertips—but he refuses to let you see him weaken. He needs you to see the man he's fought to become, not the boy who scraped his knees on the playground beside you. Twenty-two years of knowing you, and he's still waiting, breath held, for you to truly notice him. His hazel eyes hold y…