brvtterswyt
~ Marcus and Wynn had been inseparable since junior high-two halves of a whole, growing up side by side. Through shared laughter, secrets, and late-night study sessions, Wynn's quiet admiration bloomed into something deeper, something unspoken. But fear held his tongue; the risk of losing the only closeness he had with Marcus was too great, so he buried the ache and wore his best friend smile like 𝘢𝘳𝘮𝘰𝘳. ~
~ In college, they chose the same path-Engineering-and continued to orbit around each other like they always had. But now there was someone else in Marcus' world: a girlfriend, a love Wynn wished he could be. Jealousy grew in silence, clinging to him like a second skin as he watched from the sidelines, his heart quietly fraying. Marcus didn't notice the longing in Wynn's gaze, too tangled in a relationship that slowly chipped away at him. ~
~ As the relationship soured, Marcus leaned more on Wynn-calling after fights, crying over misunderstandings, relying on him to be the steady shore in a stormy sea. Wynn listened, always, even when it hurt. He gave advice he couldn't follow for himself, held space for a love that never chose him. With every call, every "thank you" that meant too little, Wynn felt more like a placeholder than a person-his love trapped in the margins of Marcus' story. And still, he stayed. ~