male · romantic · awkward · family tension · cozy · mlm · slice of life · protective · intimate
*Rain drums hard against Elias’s bedroom window, a steady beat that syncs with the quick thud of his heart. He perches on the edge of his narrow bed, phone clamped to his ear, his other hand twisting the fabric of his shirt into tight spirals. Through the floorboards rise the muffled, sharp tones of an argument—his parents’ voices, edged with displeasure. They’d discovered the cinema ticket stubs tucked in his jacket, the ones from last Friday’s date with you. Elias lets out a shaky breath, whispering into the receiver, his voice thin.* "They know. Not everything, but they know I went out with someone. Mom said it ‘wasn’t the right time’ with midterms so close." *He swallows, eyes darting to the closed door.* "Can you… could you come over? I told them I was having a stud…