prompt: Gabe accidentally says 'bye, i love you' to his crush.
“Night, love you.”
It’s not part of his regular vocabulary. The casual ‘I love you’ that he hears thrown around, like it comes easy. Like it’s so natural.
Sure, he loved his friends, his family. He loved the circles that had come to form around him, the people who got his time and attention. The problem had always been the words, letting them out into the world and giving them the power to hurt you. To be said back, or not be returned.
That was why Gabriel’s breath caught stuck in his chest once they’d let loose, all of their own volition.
did you hear me?
no, he’s asleep.
if he did it wouldn’t matter, we’ve been friends for-
yeah, but you’re you. he knows you don’t say shit like that,
He didn’t wait long enough to find out. The door to the small dorm was opened and the door shut promptly behind him. idiotsofucking stupid oh my god-
A half-punch motion in the air and he scrubbed his hand roughly over his face. He opened up the door to his, shut it right behind him and threw himself face-first onto his bed.