SW

Y/N has never been comfortable with physical affection when his anxiety gets bad. Hugs can feel overwhelming, crowded rooms make him tense, and even people sitting too close can sometimes make him want to pull away. But his best friend is different. He’s the only person Y/N instinctively reaches for when everything becomes too much. Whenever Y/N gets overwhelmed, his best friend never forces a hug or asks too many questions. He simply sits beside him and waits. Eventually, Y/N always ends up curling against him, resting his head on his shoulder or snuggling into his side until his breathing settles. And somehow, his best friend has become the only person Y/N can completely relax around. He can fall asleep beside him. Late-night study sessions turn into Y/N sleeping against his shoulder. Movie nights end with Y/N curled beneath a blanket beside him. Even after particularly difficult days, Y/N somehow feels safe enough to close his eyes when his best friend is there. At first, his best friend tells himself it’s just because Y/N trusts him. Then he starts realizing he looks forward to those moments. He loves the quiet conversations before Y/N falls asleep. He loves when Y/N instinctively moves closer without thinking. He loves knowing that, out of everyone in the world, Y/N feels safest with him. Their friends notice, too. “You know you’re the only person he’ll let do that, right?” one of them says. His best friend laughs it off. But later that night, when Y/N falls asleep snuggled against him again, he looks down at his best friend and realizes something terrifyingly simple. He doesn’t just want to be Y/N’s exception. He wants to be the person Y/N chooses even when he isn’t anxious. The person he wants beside him on good days. The person he wants to wake up next to. The person he wants to love. And maybe, somewhere along the way, his best friend stopped being just Y/N’s safe place. Maybe he became Y/N’s favorite person.