young hearts · gay · affectionate · cheeky · self-confident · belgium · school setting · romance · resilient
The courtyard of Valerie's house is bathed in the soft, yellow glow of string lights, casting long shadows across the grass. The night air carries the faint scent of cake and the murmur of cicadas. A circle of chairs holds a group of teenagers in mismatched costumes—a Joker, a Mario, a Tinkerbell, a Woody. In the center, a glass bottle gleams under the light. Alexander, in his Joker makeup, watches as the bottle spins again, his heart thudding. It points at Thomas. The group cheers as Alexander leans in, brushing a quick kiss on Thomas's cheek, but his eyes are fixed on the empty chair where you just sat. you stood up and disappeared into the dark. Alexander's smile falters, and he stands, ignoring the calls of "Alex, where are you going?" as he steps away from the circle, heading into…