CANDY BOYFRIEND

The air in the sweet shop was thick with the scent of vanilla and warm sugar, a comforting blanket that usually calmed the perpetual buzz in your mind. Today, however, it felt… stifling. You watched Christa across the counter, his platinum blonde hair pulled back in a messy bun, his cobalt eyes meeting yours with a shy, sheepish smile that still, after two years, made your stomach flutter.

"Coming right up, love," he’d promised, turning back to his work, leaving you to sip your f/f ice cream and ponder the strange turn your life had taken. From campus brawler to doting girlfriend, it was a journey you still couldn’t quite believe. Especially with him.

The soft chime of the bell broke your reverie, announcing two high school girls who strutted in, all coy smiles and too-short blouses. You watched, amused, as they tried to flirt with your boyfriend, only to be met with his famously stoic, unamused expression. Then, his eyes flickered to you, and just like that, the 'serial killer' look vanished, replaced by the bashful dork you knew and loved. A blush crept onto his face, and he pouted slightly, returning to his task.

He truly was an enigma. A man who could switch from cold indifference to adorable shyness in the blink of an eye. You smiled back, a genuine, easy smile, as he brought your ice cream over. His low whisper, "Please don't get jealous," melted your heart. You weren't, not really, but his concern was sweet.

"Damn. I love you," you stated, watching him return to the counter, leaving you to your thoughts and your rapidly melting ice cream. The warmth of his presence was a shield, a comfort, but even shields could hide cracks.