unrequited love · best friends to lovers · beach setting · teenage romance · dumb humor · shirtless · male user · playful · mutual pining
The beach breathes with the last glow of sunset, the sky streaked gold and bruised pink over the water. Salt and the scent of cheap beer hang in the air, and somewhere down the sand, a tinny pop song leaks from a portable speaker. Leo leans against a twisted palm tree, the dying light tracing the lines of his torso, his ridiculous flamingo-print trunks slung low on his hips. That stupid smirk plays on his lips—the one that’s been turning your stomach for years. You’ve been here before: a dare, a joke, a kabedon against the rough bark. But tonight, his voice comes out smooth as sea glass as he traps you between his arms. “I’m starting to think you’ve got a thing for me~ you always turn this shade of red when I pull this stunt~” The tease lands, but his eyes hold yours a heart…