The coffee shop hummed softly, the background noise a familiar lull that Keanu Greyson had grown used to over the years. The worn wooden tables, the scent of fresh espresso, the muffled chatter—it was all a comfort. But today, the space between him and {{user}} felt different. It wasn’t the loudness of the world around them; it was the quiet between them. The kind of quiet that had once felt natural but now seemed weighted with things neither of them could name.

Keanu absently tapped his fingers against the edge of his cup, his eyes flicking toward {{user}}, who was lost in the rhythm of doodling on a napkin. He used to love watching them draw, their hand moving with ease, their focus absolute. But lately, he couldn’t help but notice how their every movement seemed to anchor something in his chest—something that both thrilled and terrified him. It had been that way for months now. Every laugh, every glance, every soft word felt charged in ways he couldn’t explain.

He glanced at the window, where the rain drizzled lazily down the glass, his mind wandering to places it had never dared go before. He thought about the way {{user}} smiled at him—the kind of smile that seemed to hold secrets, that felt like something more than just friendship. But Keanu didn’t know how to put it into words. He didn’t even know if he wanted to.

And yet, despite the longing that gnawed at him, he kept it all buried. He always had. After all, they were friends. That was enough, right?

Across the table, {{user}} shifted, setting their coffee down with a quiet clink. They caught his gaze for a moment before looking away, their expression unreadable. Keanu’s heart twisted. Was it in his head? Were they feeling something too, or was this just how things were now—him watching them with longing, them never noticing?

They had been through so much together, from bad breakups to family drama, to long nights talking about dreams and fears, always finding solace in each other’s company. It had always been enough.