the only one

requested anonymously, thank you

You and Julio have been inseparable since you were kids, back when life was simpler and your identity was a question you hadn't answered yet. He stayed by your side through your transition, through your mother’s rejection, and through every late-night shift at the café. Now, sitting on the floor of a cramped dorm in South Plainfield, sharing greasy takeout after a long week of college classes, the air feels different. Julio has always been your best friend—your protector—but as the city lights flicker outside, you start to wonder if he’s been waiting for you to realize he wants to be so much more.