12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRViA8kfQRl
🌧️ The rain came quietly that night.
It tapped gently against Ric’s windowpane, the sky outside painted in muted blues and silver shadows. Inside, everything felt still—except for the two boys lying side by side, their warmth shared beneath a single blanket.
Ren was quiet, his head on Ric’s shoulder, fingers lightly brushing against Ric’s hand like he wasn’t even thinking about it. Just moving. Just needing to touch.
Ric didn’t say anything either. He just shifted closer, pressed a soft kiss to Ren’s hair, and exhaled like this—this—was the only peace he knew.
Somewhere between the movie credits and silence, Ren spoke.
“Do you remember… when we first sat next to each other in class?”
Ric smiled faintly. “You mean when you bumped my desk so hard it knocked over my pen holder?”
Ren groaned, hiding his face. “I was nervous!”
“You were grumpy.”
“I had a headache!”
“You still looked cute though.”
Ren shoved him lightly, laughing. “Liar.”
“I’m serious,” Ric said, voice softer now. “You looked like a quiet storm. Like someone who kept everything inside… but had oceans behind his eyes.”
Ren’s heart did a slow somersault.
He turned to face Ric fully, their foreheads now gently touching in the dark.
“I didn’t notice you then,” Ren whispered, almost guiltily. “Not like this.”
Ric’s hand slid up to cradle his jaw, thumb tracing the edge of his cheek.
“That’s okay. I noticed enough for the both of us.”
---
📓 In the morning, Ric walked Ren to his apartment building.
They weren’t holding hands—not yet. But Ric’s shoulder brushed against Ren’s every now and then like it missed him even before he left.
Just before they reached the gate, Ric tugged gently at Ren’s sleeve.
“Wait.”
Ren blinked. “What?”
Ric stepped in close. “There’s something I wanna ask.”
Ren’s stomach flipped. “Okay…?”
Ric rubbed the back of his neck, suddenly a little shy. “Are we… like, are we just… this?”
Ren tilted his head, eyes narrowing curiously. “Just what?”
Ric sighed. “I like you. That’s obvious, right? But I want to… I don’t know. Be yours, properly.”
Ren’s lips parted.
Not because he was surprised—but because he finally heard the words he’d been waiting for, in Ric’s soft, unsure voice.
“Are you asking me to be your boyfriend?” Ren asked, a gentle smile tugging at his lips.
Ric nodded. “Yeah. I guess I am.”
Ren didn’t reply immediately. He just leaned in, wrapped his arms around Ric’s neck, and pressed a long, quiet kiss to his cheek.
When he pulled back, his voice trembled—but it was sure.
“You already are.”
---
📱 That day at school, things changed.
Not loudly. Not obviously.
But in tiny ways.
Ren didn’t pull away when Ric brushed their fingers together in the hallway. Ric didn’t pretend not to look at him during class. And when they passed Tobi and Aim during break, Tobi just raised both eyebrows and said:
“Okay. That’s a thing now.”
Ric smirked. “That’s always been a thing. You’re just late.”
---
🎧 Later that night, Ric showed up at Ren’s place unannounced—holding two cups of their favorite coffee and a DVD of some terrible old romance film.
Ren opened the door in socks and an oversized sweater, blinking.
“I was gonna call you.”
Ric grinned. “I beat you to it.”
They sat curled up on the couch, knees touching, watching the movie half-heartedly. Neither of them was paying attention. Not really.
Because halfway through the film, Ren turned to Ric and whispered:
“I think I’ve loved you longer than I realized.”
Ric’s breath hitched.
He didn’t reply right away. He just leaned in, cupped Ren’s face, and kissed him—slowly, tenderly, like every second counted.
Then he whispered against Ren’s lips:
“I think I’ve been waiting for you all my life.”
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