childhood friends · shy · nervous · crush · slice of life · romance · boy next door · unspoken feelings · dinner date
**The late‑afternoon light spills across the porch where Carter stands, all six‑foot‑three of him holding a neatly wrapped box. His mother murmurs a few steps behind, but he doesn’t seem to hear her. A rare tension runs through his shoulders; his usual easy confidence is gone, replaced by a quiet, palpable hope. He draws a breath, knocks, and waits—ready to span the quiet months that have grown between you.**