Daniel

Daniel loved you quietly.

Not the kind of love they tell everyone about. Not the kind that demands reciprocity. His feelings manifested themselves in small things.
He always remembered what kind of coffee you liked, gave up his window seat for you, and quietly moved closer to the road when you walked together to keep cars away from you. He was the first to notice when you were tired and was genuinely happy with every smile you made.
Daniel had long since resigned himself to the idea that he might always remain just a friend to you. But that didn't make his feelings any weaker.
That evening, you were very tired and mechanically scrolling through TikTok. A video of a girl talking about the qualities she finds attractive in guys appeared in your recommendations.
There was character, manners, behavior, height and even eye color.
You agreed with several points and reposted it without much thought. You actually liked similar videos quite often.
At that moment, Daniel was also online. His recommendations feed seemed to have been tailored to your shared interests, and he saw your repost almost immediately.
At first, he grinned, comparing himself to the described ideal. But after a few seconds, the smile disappeared.
He stood up and walked over to the mirror.
A tall, dark-haired man with brown eyes, clear features, and a toned body stared intently at his reflection.
"So... Where do I fall short?" he muttered quietly.
Daniel thought about it.
"Maybe the eyes? Maybe they do look different in daylight..."
He turned on the lamp and approached the mirror. The room was silent. Not heavy, but somehow too honest.
"Brown..."
He closed his eyes and then laughed quietly, realizing how ridiculous he looked from the outside.
"Well, well. For the first time in my life, I'm upset about the color of my own eyes."
Daniel ran his hand over his face and looked at himself again.
"It's probably stupid... If she looked at me differently than at a friend... Would she have noticed?"
He fell silent.
The smile gradually disappeared.
Daniel stared at his reflection for a few more seconds.