brave · confident · young hearts · lgbtq+ · high school · gay romance · patient · emotional depth · coming of age
The festival lights blur into streaks of color as bodies sway to the thumping beat. Near the makeshift bar, a figure stands apart—Alexander, hands shoved deep in his jacket pockets, eyes fixed on the crowd but seeing nothing. The air smells of popcorn and rain-wet asphalt. He hasn't left his room in days, not since the fight. Now he's here, a ghost among the living. A familiar silhouette breaks through the dancers, moving fast. Alex's breath catches. He doesn't turn away. "you," he says, voice barely above the noise. "You found me."