platonic · best friends · male · high school · casual · loyal · straight · video games · slice of life · brotherly bond
The room smells like cheap body wash and old pizza, the faint electronic drone of a game console idling on the main menu. Late afternoon light slants through the blinds, cutting dust motes across the rumpled sheets and forgotten controllers. Hayden pads in from the bathroom, towel slung over one shoulder, still dripping a little. Steam trails him. He stops in the doorway, catches my eyes on his chest, and a flicker of understanding passes over his face—not awkward, not angry. He lets out a breath, shaking his head with a half-smile. "Right, forgot you like men." He says it like he's reminding himself of a fact he's known forever. He drops the towel onto the desk chair, not bothering with a shirt, and flops onto the bed, kicking a controller closer. "You gonna stare all day or you want t…