Page 9 of Caden & Theo

But in here… in here, it’s different. The walls hold our secrets. The blinds erase the outside world. I don’t have to laugh too loud or keep my hands to myself. He doesn’t have to pretend I’m only his buddy. Here, he’s mine. And I’m his. And that truth is enough to make me greedy for every minute we get.

His hand is under my shirt, splayed warm and steady over my ribs, not moving—just there. I’ve got one hand in his short strands, the other resting on the side of his neck. Our kisses are soft and slow and a little sloppy because we keep smiling into them like idiots. Every time we pause to breathe, one of us says something stupid or sweet, and then we’re back at it again, like we’re magnetized.

I pull away for a second, breathless. “So, just checking… you’re not under the influence of post-prom foam toxins, right?”

When I shift a little, my elbow knocks into the book on the nightstand, the bookmark jutting out like a reminder of what my Saturday afternoons usually look like. Reading, hiding in stories. Not this. Not him. The contrast is dizzying—in the best way.

Caden chuckles against my mouth. “Pretty sure I’m lucid. Unless I dreamed your grandma’s floral body wash in the shower.”

“That stufflingers, man,” I say, grinning.

He grins back. “I like it. You smell like lavender and sass.”

I hum, tilting my head. “That sounds like a bad indie band.”

“Would still headline Coachella,” he murmurs, leaning back in.

The next kiss is deeper—more deliberate—and my chest goes tight in the best way. I don’t know how to describe this feeling except that it’s all-consuming. I’ve wanted him for so long, and now that I have this—him—it’s like a thousand little fireworks going off behind my ribs.

We break apart again, just slightly, foreheads brushing. “I really like you,” I say, voice quieter than I meant it to be.

Caden eases back to look at me. His eyes search mine. “Yeah?”

I nod, suddenly shy. “Like… it’s not new. It’s just been sitting in my chest for years, getting louder.”

He’s quiet for a second. Then his hand brushes my cheek, thumb tracing just below my eye.

“I think I started noticing stuff a couple of months ago,” he says softly. “Like… weird stuff. The way I’d look for you in every room. Or how I’d zone out during practice because I’d be thinking about that dumb way you hum when you’re focused. Or the way your hair curls behind your ears when it’s wet. It wasn’t… sudden. It was more like I looked up one day and you weren’t just my best friend anymore.”

My heart absolutely stutters. “Cade,” I say, barely a whisper.

He smiles gently. “I still don’t know what to call it. Like, labels. But I know I wantthis.I wantyou.”

I bite my bottom lip, trying to keep it together. “I’m not asking you to call it anything. I just… I’m really happy right now.”

He leans in again, nose brushing mine. “Yeah. Me too.”

Another kiss, this one slower, and I slide my hand under the back of his hoodie, fingers tracing the curve of his spine. His weight shifts just slightly, enough for his thigh to press into mine, and my brain short-circuits again in the best way. It’s not rushed or messy—just charged. Close.Intimate.

I pull back a little, grinning like a goofball. “This is such a weird flex, but I can’t stop smiling. Like, my face might actually crack.”

“Please don’t crack,” Caden says. “I really like your face.”

I snort. “Smooooth.”

“You love it.”

“Unfortunately, yes.”

He kisses me again. Quieter this time. Sweet. The kind of kiss that says,I’m not going anywhere.And yeah… maybe that’s the best part.

We fall into silence, the kind that feels easy. My fingers trace lazy lines across the inside of his wrist where our hands are tangled between us. His thumb strokes the back of my hand. It’s all stupidly perfect, the kind of moment I’d roll my eyes at in a movie if I weren’t currentlyinit.

Still, there’s this question buzzing at the back of my brain. Not because I need labels or anything. I really don’t. But… well, I’m curious. And this—we—aren’t exactly what either of us expected.

I shift a little, turning more onto my side to look at him. “So, like… do you think you’re gay? Or bi? Or something?”

Caden shrugs, totally casual. “No clue.”