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Brady lay sprawled on his bed, staring at the ceiling, the faint hum of his desk lamp filling the quiet room. David's words played on an endless loop in his mind: "I want this... with you."
It was like a switch had been flipped inside him--he wasn't just infatuated, wasn't just crushing. He was in love. Fully, completely, maddeningly in love.
Brady's chest swelled as he replayed their kiss in his mind--the way David had leaned in, the warmth of his lips, the way the world had melted away.
He rolled onto his side, clutching a pillow to his chest. It was ridiculous how happy he felt, like he was floating. He wanted to call David, to hear his voice, to tell him everything he was feeling. But it was late, and he didn't want to seem clingy. Still, he couldn't help himself.
Grabbing his phone, he typed out a quick text: "You awake?"
The reply came almost instantly. "Of course. Thinking about you."
"I love you David." Brady replied, almost instantly wondering if it was too soon to say that. Anxiety rose in his chest as he awaited David's response.
When the phone pinged and he saw the reply, Brady's heart did a somersault. "I love you too." The message said. He pressed the phone to his chest, grinning like an idiot.
The next afternoon, Brady biked over to David's house. The Sanchez home was lively as usual, with the smell of cooking wafting through the open windows and faint music playing from a radio in the kitchen. David greeted him at the door, his expression lighting up in a way that made Brady's heart skip a beat.
"Hey," David said, stepping aside to let him in.
Maria, David's 12-year-old sister, was sitting cross-legged on the couch, engrossed in a telenovela playing on the small TV. She glanced up when she saw Brady and smirked. "Ay, mira, el novio de Davíd está aquí." (Oh, look, David's boyfriend is here.)
Brady froze, heat rushing to his face. He'd learned enough Spanish in school to know what she just said. David rolled his eyes and tossed a pillow at her. "Shut up, Maria."
Maria giggled, clearly pleased with herself. "I'm just saying, you guys are always together. Like, always."
Brady forced a laugh, but his mind was racing. Did she know? Was it that obvious? Or was she just teasing?
"Don't you have homework to do?" David asked, his tone exasperated.
"Don't you?" Maria shot back, grinning as she turned back to the TV.
David shook his head and motioned for Brady to follow him to his room. Once the door was shut, Brady leaned against it, still blushing.
"Do you think she knows?" he asked.
David shrugged, sitting down on the bed. "Maria's always making jokes like that. I don't think she actually knows anything."
Brady sat down beside him, fidgeting with the hem of his shirt. "Do you think anyone else suspects?"
David's expression softened. "I don't know. Maybe. Does it matter?"
"I don't know," Brady admitted. "I guess I've just been thinking... about how long we can keep this a secret. If we don't tell anyone, are we just going to have to hide forever?"
David reached out, brushing Brady's hand with his own. "We don't have to decide everything right now. We'll figure it out when we're ready."
"But what if people find out?" Brady asked, his voice barely above a whisper. "What if they... don't understand?"
David leaned closer, his voice steady and calm. "If they don't understand, that's their problem, not ours. I'm not ashamed of how I feel about you, Brady. And I don't want you to be, either."
Brady looked into David's eyes, seeing nothing but reassurance and love. "I'm not ashamed," he said softly. "I'm just scared."
David smiled, lacing their fingers together. "We'll take it one step at a time. We don't have to tell anyone if we're not ready. But when we are, we'll handle it. Together."
Brady nodded, his heart swelling with gratitude. He leaned forward, resting his forehead against David's. "You make it sound so easy."
"It's not going to be easy," David said, his voice low. "But I don't care, as long as I have you."
Brady felt his pulse quicken. He leaned in, pressing his lips to David's in a kiss that was both gentle and full of promise.