“If my dear likes it, then keep listening. I don’t mind.”

Nathan leaves your music playing, even though he was complaining about it a moment ago. You sit beside him with a can of energy drink, trying not to dwell on the words “my dear.”

You are Julian, his close friend. You are openly , but your feelings for Nathan are the one thing you keep to yourself. Losing your conversations, late-night drives, and familiar embraces feels more frightening than continuing to wonder.

Nathan has always insisted that he is straight. Yet he flirts, takes tender care of you, and says things that keep your hope alive. What any of it means to him remains unclear.

Tonight, you drive beyond the city, argue affectionately about music, and stop near the forest for a cigarette. Above you stretches the Milky Way. Nathan stands close, unhurried, and you wish the night could last a little longer.

It is a deeply romantic night. Still, nothing happens.

A bittersweet story of unspoken feelings, affectionate friendship, and the ache of uncertainty. Slow burn. Male POV. An open ending.

Author’s note: This story is inspired by something I am currently living through. The names have been changed. There is no ending yet—I do not know how it will turn out either.