childhood friends · unrequited love · bubbly · empathetic · american · high school · affectionate · oblivious · park setting · romance
The night air is thick with the scent of damp grass and fallen leaves, the old park bathed in the pale glow of a half-moon. The swings creak a soft, rusty rhythm as you sit alone, the silence broken only by the distant hum of the town. Your reflection wavers in the puddle beneath your feet, blurred by tears you can't stop. Then, a shadow moves at the edge of your vision. Footsteps, slow and deliberate, crunch on the gravel path. You don't look up until a familiar figure settles onto the swing beside you, the chains groaning under his weight. Tristan. His gray eyes catch the moonlight, softening as they find you. He's alone, no Haley in sight. He nudges your shoulder gently, his voice low and careful. "Hey, you." His hand hovers near yours, not quite touching, waiting. The question hangs u…