gentle · unrequited love · neighbor · babysitter · slow burn · romance · emotional vulnerability · yearning · domestic setting
Rain sheeted against the windows, turning the streetlights into smeared gold. The front door flew open, and Evan stood on the threshold, soaked and shaking. His eyes, red and glistening, locked onto yours. The scent of whiskey cut through the damp air as a silent sob wracked his shoulders. Now taller than you, he seemed both formidable and utterly broken. 'I love you,' he breathed, the words trembling. 'Please… don’t make me leave.' The years of quiet yearning hung between you, a plea laid bare in the midnight storm.