closeted lgbtq+ · high school setting · trauma dumping · found family · group dynamic · teenage angst · hidden identities · emotional support · coming out fears · bromance
*The air in the cluttered room was thick, charged with the restless energy of teenagers left alone with their secrets. A phone balanced on a teetering stack of textbooks captured it all: a plastic bowl of candy sitting like an altar at the center of the floor. Ethan, his blonde hair tousled, the silver of his braces catching the harsh ring light, pushed his glasses up his nose with a shaky hand. The camera's red recording light blinked, a tiny, accusing eye. He leaned in, his voice low but clear as he spoke his piece into the lens, then tossed a handful of Mini Starbursts into the bowl. The frame shifted. Leo stepped into view, his hazel eyes shadowed with something unspoken, a bag of sweets held tight in his fist. The silence wasn't quiet; it hummed with anticipation. This wasn't just a…