It was Friday afternoon, and the university campus was winding down for the weekend.
Tim stood near the entrance of the main building, waiting. He checked his watch several times, glancing around the stone courtyard with growing impatience. Before long, three familiar figures appeared at the top of the stairs Willy, Seb, and Al. The schedule Logan had privately sent him turned out to be completely accurate.
"What are your plans for today?" Seb asked, slinging his jacket over his shoulder as they walked down the steps. "We don't have a club meeting. Should we hit that new place downtown?"
Al shrugged, scrolling through his phone. "I've got no plans, but Willy's busy."
Willy frowned, adjusting his collar. "Why would I be busy?"
"Look straight ahead," Al smirked, nodding toward the courtyard. "Someone's waiting for you."
Willy looked up, his eyes locking onto Tim, who was standing casually at the bottom of the staircase. Willy froze for a split second, realizing Tim had already spotted them and was walking his way.
"Hello," Tim said, a lazy smile spreading across his face as he reached them. "How are you guys?"
Willy sighed, crossing his arms. "Seriously? What are you doing here, Tim?"
"I was waiting for you, of course," Tim replied effortlessly. "Did you already forget my promise?"
Seb cleared his throat, exchanging a knowing glance with Al. "You know what? We'd better leave you two alone to talk."
"Call us if you need backup, Willy," Al added with a chuckle.
Without hesitation, the two turned and walked off, leaving Willy stranded. He stared after them, unable to believe his friends had abandoned him so quickly. He turned his attention back to Tim, his tone turning sharp.
"You aren't attending university because of official health problems, remember? So what exactly are you doing on campus?"
Tim stepped closer, his eyes locked onto Willy's. "Even if I were dying, Willy, I'd still find a way to come see you."
Willy felt a familiar spike of irritation. Since the start of the semester, he hadn't had a single moment of peace, and now he was forced to go to a high-stakes national competition with this chaotic human being. He would give anything to avoid it. Why did it have to be him? If Seb hadn't had those sudden visa issues, they would be packing their bags together instead.
"You must be hungry after classes," Tim noted, breaking his train of thought. "Let's go grab something to eat and talk."
"I'm not going anywhere with you," Willy flatly refused.
Tim tilted his head, a mocking glint in his eyes. "Why not? Are you really that afraid of me?"
Willy exhaled sharply. Why did Tim always try to provoke him? Couldn't they meet just once without turning it into a battlefield?
"Let's just talk here," Willy muttered.
"Whatever you say."
Tim stepped backward toward a quieter pathway running through the campus gardens. Willy followed reluctantly. He knew he had no choice but to communicate. After all, the survival of their club's reputation depended on this upcoming tournament.
"So," Willy began, stopping under the shade of a large oak tree. "What do you want to talk about?"
"The rector said you'd explain all the logistics and rules about the competition," Tim said, his playful demeanor shifting into something more straightforward. "That's the only reason I'm here."
Willy stared at him, incredulous. He couldn't believe Tim had traveled all the way to campus just for that. "A simple text message would have been enough. You didn't have to come in person."
Tim's gaze softened, the intensity returning to his eyes. "But I missed you. That's why I came."
"Stop flirting with me," Willy snapped, turning his face away as a faint heat climbed up his neck. "It's not going to work."
Tim let out a soft, genuine laugh. He absolutely loved teasing him. Every single time he threw a flirtatious comment Willy's way, Willy's ears would turn bright red and he'd completely lose his usual icy composure.
"Are you sure about that?" Tim purred, taking a step into Willy's personal space. "Because I distinctly remember the way you looked at me when we first met. That's why I flirt, Willy because I know you like it. You can try to fool yourself all you want, but you can't fool me."
Willy's jaw clenched. "That's total bullshit. If you've got nothing else useful to say, I'm leaving."
Willy turned to walk away, but before he could take a step, Tim reached out and caught his wrist, stopping him in his tracks. The grip wasn't tight, but it was firm enough to make Willy pause.
"I know you need time to figure things out," Tim said softly, his voice surprisingly gentle. "I'll wait. When you're ready, give me your answer."
Tim slowly let go of his wrist, gave him a final, unreadable look, and walked away toward the campus gates. Willy stood frozen under the tree for a long moment, the warmth of Tim's fingers still lingering on his skin. Finally snapping out of his thoughts, he shook his head and pulled out his phone. He desperately needed a distraction.
Willy:Where are you guys? I need your help.
Seb:We're at the bar near the corner of the avenue.
Willy:At this hour? It's barely evening.
Al:If it's serious enough to make you text us, then you've come to the right place. Get over here.
Willy:On my way.
Willy walked to his car, which was parked in the student lot. The drive took much longer than expected due to the heavy weekend traffic, but he eventually pulled up to the neon-lit lounge. Stepping inside, he quickly spotted Seb and Al sitting in their usual booth in the far corner.
"You're late," Seb noted as Willy slid into the leather booth.
"Traffic was a nightmare," Willy muttered, rubbing his temples.
Al stood up, patting Willy's shoulder. "What are you drinking? The usual?"
"Yeah, please."
"Got it. Don't start the gossip without me," Al laughed, heading toward the bar. Since the place wasn't crowded yet, he returned a few minutes later with their drinks.
Seb leaned forward, resting his elbows on the table. "Alright, spill. What happened out there with Tim?"
Willy hesitated, staring down at his glass, completely unsure of where to even begin. His friends noticed the hesitation immediately. They had known each other forever, grew up in the same neighborhood, went to the same school, and now shared the same university halls. They could read him like an open book.
"Tim told you he likes you, didn't he?" Al asked bluntly.
Willy looked up, his eyes widening in surprise.
Seb chuckled. "Come on, Willy. It's been painfully obvious from the start. We know you too well. You can't hide a thing from us."
Willy took a slow sip of his drink. "He didn't exactly say he liked me. He said... he said that I have feelings for him."
Al raised an eyebrow, a smirk playing on his lips. "And do you?"
Willy went quiet, the ambient music of the bar filling the silence. "I don't know," he admitted honestly, his voice dropping. "Maybe I do. But I'm really not ready for a serious relationship right now. My life is complicated enough."
"Then look at this competition as your chance to figure it out," Seb said gently.
"Exactly," Al agreed, nodding. "You won't know unless you actually try. You two are going to be stuck together for three whole days. Make the most of it."
Willy had to admit they were right. Three days away from campus, isolated at a tournament hotel, would give him more than enough time to understand what his heart actually wanted.
They were halfway through their drinks when the bell above the bar entrance chimed. Willy's eyes drifted to the door, and he paused when he recognized the two people entering.
Seb followed his gaze. "Ethan and Logan? What are they doing here together?"
Al nudged Willy. "Hey, are you going to tell your brother about this?"
"Let's see what's actually going on first," Willy said, sliding out of the booth. He walked across the room and approached their table. "Logan? What are you doing here? Does my brother know you're out?"
Logan looked up, startled, but quickly relaxed. "Why should he? You completely forgot that Ethan and I are in the exact same faculty. He didn't understand a concept from the finance lecture today and asked me for some help."
Ethan looked between them, thoroughly confused. "Wait, what's happening?"
Logan laughed nervously. "He thought I was cheating on his brother with you, Ethan."
Ethan's eyes went wide. "Wait! Logan is your brother's boyfriend?! I had no idea!"
Watching the misunderstanding clear up from across the room, Seb called out, "Hey! If everything's fine over there, tell them to join our table!"
A moment later, Ethan and Logan brought their things over to the larger booth.
"So, what are you guys doing here anyway?" Ethan asked, taking a seat next to Al.
"Helping out a potential new couple," Al said smoothly.
Logan raised an eyebrow. "New couple? Who?"
Willy sharply kicked Al's leg under the table.
"Ouch! What?" Al hissed, rubbing his shin. "I'm just being honest!"
"He means Willy and Tim," Seb explained with a grin.
Ethan and Logan stopped entirely, looking at each other in utter disbelief.
"What?" Ethan blinked. "When did that even happen?"
"There is no new couple," Willy insisted, his voice tight with frustration.
"Oh, come on, Willy," Al groaned. "You both clearly like each other. It's about time you admit it."
Willy sighed heavily, staring into his drink. "I told you... I'm just not sure yet."
"Alright, alright, calm down, Al," Logan interjected, trying to keep the peace.
Ethan quieted down, looking thoughtfully at Willy. "Honestly, I wouldn't be surprised if you actually liked Tim. He's incredibly handsome and has this cool, mysterious vibe around him. If he actually came to campus regularly, he'd easily be more popular than all of you combined."
The table fell into a sudden, awkward silence. Everyone instantly recalled the persistent campus rumors that Ethan and Tim were secretly dating.
Ethan noticed the shift. "What? Why did you all go quiet?"
"Because we honestly thought you two were together," Seb admitted frankly.
Ethan let out a loud laugh, waving his hand. "Seriously? No way! Tim is definitely not my type, and I'm one hundred percent sure I'm not his. Tim needs someone very specific. He needs someone who will truly love him, take care of him, and stay by his side no matter how hard it gets. He's... been through a lot of dark stuff."
Willy's brow furrowed, his attention snapping fully back to Ethan. What exactly had Tim gone through? Was his mysterious health condition connected to his past?
"I don't know all the details," Ethan continued, his tone turning serious. "But he severely struggles to sleep at night, and sometimes he's literally terrified of leaving his own house. When I pushed him for answers once, he just said it was because of something horrible that happened to him in his childhood."
Logan shook his head pityingly. "That completely explains why the administration gave him a waiver to not attend daily university classes."
Ethan turned his head, looking Willy dead in the eye. "I'm telling you this as his close friend, Willy. Before you start anything with Tim, make absolutely sure of your feelings. Don't play with him."
Willy nodded slowly, a heavy feeling settling in his chest. He knew Ethan was right. He had to be incredibly careful. The absolute last thing he wanted to do was break whatever was left of Tim.