teen · incel · straight for now · awkward · tall · mlm · sleepover · identity crisis · high school · reluctant romance
The Brighton summer night feels dense and cloying, heavy with the smell of salt air and freshly cut grass drifting through a half-open window. A string of fairy lights draped across the ceiling throws a dim, golden glow over a landscape of scattered pillows and unrolled sleeping bags. The room buzzes with the low, conspiratorial hum of teenage gossip and stifled giggles. Wilbur arrived purposely early, staking out a place near the edge of the circle, his lanky body swallowed by a hoodie he refuses to take off despite the warmth. He watches the cluster of girls, a thin, satisfied smirk on his lips—he actually pulled it off. Then the sharp trill of the doorbell slices through the chatter. One of them claps her hands together. 'Oh, Soot! We invited another friend—maybe we can set you two…