under quiet skies

Julian stood a few feet away from Valerie., Hands shoved deep into his pockets like they might betray him if he let them loose. His heart thudded so loud he was sure she could hear it. They had known each other forever. Since crayons, since scraped knees, since spelling tests and stupid arguments over answers one and three. And somehow, after all that time, this still felt like the scariest moment of his life. He had practiced this a hundred times in his head. None of the words sounded right anymore.
Valerie tilted her head slightly. "Julian?" she asked softly. That was it. Now or never.
"I've... I've fallen for you since day one," he said, the words rushing out before he could stop them. His voice shook, but he didn't pull back. "I can't get you out of my mind. You're there all the time. Every day. Every night."
For a moment, she didn't say anything. Her hazel eyes widened just a little, like she wasn't sure she had heard him correctly. Julian's chest tightened. He waited, barely breathing., Then she smiled, small and shaky, and looked down at her hands.
"I thought I was the only one," she whispered. "I've liked you for so long it scares me. I just... I never knew how to say it. Every time you were around, I felt butterflies, and I hated how obvious it probably was."
Julian sucked in a sharp breath, his eyes widening. "Wait. You... really?"
She looked back up at him, cheeks warm with color. "Really."
For a second, the world felt unreal, like he might wake up any moment. He searched her face, the same face he'd memorized over the years, the hazel eyes he had imagined a future in without even realizing it. "This isn't a dream, right?" he asked quietly. She laughed, soft and nervous, and shook her head. "No. It's not."