"If it didn't mean something, then why can't I stop thinking about it?"
Axel didn't sleep the night before. Not really. He'd laid there in the dark, one arm thrown over his eyes, heart pounding like a warning. His mind kept playing the same reel on loop: Noah's voice, low and steady in the bathroom. The way he didn't flinch. The way he stepped closer. The way he kissed him back. He hadn't meant to kiss Noah not at first. But it happened. And now there was no undoing it. He stared at the unread message on his phone again: Noah: We need to talk. Sent last night. No reply. Axel thumb hovered, then fell away. He couldn't do it like this not over text. It needed to be face-to-face. So before he could lose his nerve, he typed fast Axel: Can we talk today? At school. Noah read it instantly. No reply. Axel felt his stomach twist. By the time he walked onto school grounds, he already felt raw. Hoodie up. Shoulders tense. It didn't matter that the sky was clear or that the morning air had a hint of warmth in it. His whole body was locked up. He spotted Noah first. By the lockers, talking to someone from their Chemistry class, just nodding along, expression calm as ever. But then his eyes flicked up and found Axel. Instantly. And the second that happened, he started walking.
Axel's breath caught. Noah was halfway to him when someone else cut through the crowd Amy. "Axel!" she called brightly, stepping right into his path. "Hey! I meant to text you last night, but I didn't know if you'd be cool with that." Axel blinked. "Oh yeah. No worries." Noah stopped a few feet away. Axel could feel the moment shift feel the way Noah's gaze lingered, quiet and unreadable. Amy grinned, completely unaware. "So, like, what are you doing this weekend? My cousin wants to go to the arcade and I figured, maybe, if you're not too busy" Axel's throat went dry. "I'm not sure. I'll let you know." She gave him a little wave and slipped away into the crowd. Axel looked up. Noah was gone. By third period, Axel felt like he was losing his mind. He didn't see Noah again until lunch, across the cafeteria. He was sitting with a few people from his Math class, head bowed over his laptop. Like nothing had happened. Like Axel didn't exist. It shouldn't hurt as much as it did. "Dude," Javier said, sliding his tray down next to him. "You look like someone kicked your dog." "I'm fine." Jasmine sat across from him, peeling the wrapper off a juice box. "He's not fine. It's giving: I just watched the love of my life walk away." "I didn't" Axel rubbed the back of his neck. "I tried to talk to him this morning. Amy showed up." Jasmine's face twisted. "Ugh. Her again?" "She didn't do anything wrong. She was just talking." "Still," Javier said, "Noah saw it, right?" "Yeah" "Then you're screwed," Jasmine finished. "Thanks for the support."
Javier shrugged. "I mean, I'm here for emotional backup. But also, like, you kissed the guy and then ghosted him and then he sees you chatting up some girl? Man probably thinks you're over it." "I'm not," Axel said. Quietly. Almost to himself. "I'm not over anything." The day dragged. By seventh period, Axel was seriously considering ditching. Until Ms. Carrow, their English teacher, clapped her hands and made an announcement. "Alright, class, next week we begin presentations on Myth and Meaning," she said, her voice echoing. "You'll be working in pairs analyzing mythological archetypes and how they show up in modern media. I've already assigned partners." The class groaned. She started reading off the list. Names and groans and half-laughed complaints. Axel wasn't listening. Not until "…Axel Reyes and Noah Kennedy." His head snapped up. Noah didn't react. Just wrote something in his notebook, not even looking up. Carrow smiled. "Great opportunity to work across social circles, right?" Axel wanted to sink into the floor. It wasn't until after the last bell rang that he finally saw Noah again. Alone. Axel wasn't going to waste it. He cut through the crowd, pushing past a group of freshmen and slipped into the empty art wing. It was quiet. Cold. Dim. Noah was by the lockers, packing his bag. Axel's voice cracked when he said, "Hey." Noah turned. Just once glance and Axel's resolve almost crumbled.
"I wasn't avoiding you," Axel said fast. "Okay, I was. But not because I didn't care." Noah didn't answer. Axel swallowed. "You saw me with Amy." "Yeah." "It wasn't like that." "Doesn't matter." Axel flinched. "It does to me." Noah finally met his eyes. There was a flicker of something there something sharp and guarded. "I thought we were figuring things out," Noah said. "Then you disappear. Then I see you being all friendly with some girl who's clearly into you." "She's not " Axel shook his head. "I don't care about her." "Then who do you care about?" Axel stepped closer. The words burned his throat. "You." That stopped Noah. "I don't know what this is," Axel said. "But I think about you all the time. I can't stop. And I don't want to pretend like it didn't happen anymore." Noah's shoulders tensed. "Then show me." Axel blinked. "What?" Noah stepped forward. Their chests nearly brushed. His hand lifted grazed Axel's jaw. "If you want this, stop hiding. Stop making me feel like I'm the only one who gives a damn." Axel couldn't think. Could barely breathe. But he closed the distance between them, just a few inches more and kissed him. It was nothing like the first time. This kiss was hungry. Honest. A little angry. Like it had been waiting too long. When they pulled apart, Axel rested his forehead against Noah's. "I'm not good at this." "I noticed," Noah whispered. "But you're trying. That counts for something."
They stood like that a moment longer. The echo of footsteps down the hall reminded them the building wasn't empty. Noah stepped back. "I guess we've got a presentation to plan," he said lightly. Axel huffed out a breath. "Yeah. You're coming to my place?" "Looks like it." He turned to go, but paused at the door. "Hey, Axel?" "Yeah?" "If you ghost me again," Noah said, "I'm switching partners and writing an essay on my own." Axel grinned, just barely. "Noted." The door clicked shut behind him. And for once, Axel didn't feel like running. He felt like staying. Like figuring this out. One step at a time.