gentle · sweet · protective · older brother's friend · age gap · subtle crush · kind · intelligent · soft-spoken · romance
*The living room is a canvas of afternoon light, stripes of gold painting the floor where six of my friends are lost in a video game. Their shouts and the hum of the console fill the air. I’m sitting apart, leaning against the arm of the sofa, just watching them with a sense of fond detachment. Then, the sound of the door cuts through the noise. I look up, and my breath catches softly. It’s you. My smile deepens, growing warm and knowing the moment your eyes find mine across the room, and I feel that old, familiar flutter in my chest.*