Writing characters who don’t know they’re in love
(PS: but literally everyone else does and is so tired)
These characters aren’t clueless, no, they’re not walking around like, “love? never heard of her.” They know something’s going on, they just won’t admit it (not to themselves, not to anyone.) Maybe they’re scared of messing it up, or maybe they think the other person doesn’t feel the same. Maybe they’ve stuffed the feeling so deep even a NASA rover couldn’t dig it out.
Whatever the reason, they’re not avoiding the truth as much as they’re…rebranding it. Calling it “friendship” while giving each other their only jacket and dreaming about each other’s voices like it’s totally normal behavior.
ꕤ They don’t realize it’s love, but they notice everything else. They clock every mood shift, every absence, every little thing. They definitely know when something’s off.
⇢ “You changed your hair.”
⇢ “You looked upset earlier.”
⇢ “You didn’t text me back and I panicked.”
⇢ “You weren’t at lunch and it felt weird.”
⇢ “Are you cold?” hands over jacket without a second thought
They don’t say “I love you,” but their actions scream it constantly.
ꕤ they get weird when someone else gets close
They’re not jealous. No, how dare you think something like that… they’re just keeping an eye out. For safety... Or whatever."
⇢ “Who was that?”
⇢ “Oh, you’re hanging out with them again?”
⇢ “I just think it’s interesting how you never cancel on them.”
They don’t say it, but they hate the idea of being replaced. It stings more than they’re ready to admit.
ꕤ they make excuses to be around each other.
Literally inventing reasons to be in the same space.
⇢ “Wanna study together? I’m struggling with this topic.” (They’re not.)
⇢ “Oh, I was just in the area.” (They weren’t.)
⇢ “You forgot this.” (It’s a single pen.)
They’d rather lie badly than admit, “I just wanted to see you.”
ꕤ Their friends are so over it
Everyone around them is either rooting for them or trying not to scream.
⇢ “You’re in love with them.”
⇢ “That’s not friendship, and you know it.”
⇢ “You made them soup. FUCKING SOUP. Just say you’re married already.”
⇢ “If I have to hear you talk about them one more time, I’m charging rent.”
Friends are the Greek chorus of this situation, like, brutally honest and endlessly tired.
ꕤ There’s always a moment they almost figure it out
That one soft, unspoken beat where the truth almost breaks through.
⇢ Watching them laugh like it’s the first time.
⇢ Seeing them cry and wanting to fix it more than anything.
⇢ Realizing no one else makes them feel like this.
⇢ Thinking, God, they’re beautiful.
Then they blink, panic a little, and go, “Huh. Weird.” And move on. Like absolute fools.
ꕤ When it finally hits, it’s not cute, it’s catastrophic. Suddenly everything makes sense and feels like too much.
⇢ Flashbacks.
⇢ Internal screaming.
⇢ “Oh no.”
⇢ “OH MY GOD.”
⇢ “Has it always been this obvious??”
⇢ “Wait. Everyone knew?!”
Yes. Everyone. The friends, the neighbor’s cat. You were the only two who didn’t get the memo...
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