It was Friday afternoon, and the university campus was slowly winding down for the weekend. Tim stood near the stone archway of the main building's entrance, waiting. He checked his watch several times, glancing around the paved courtyard with growing impatience. Before long, three familiar figures appeared at the top of the wide staircase: Willy, Seb, and Al. The master schedule Logan had privately air-dropped him turned out to be completely accurate.
"What are your plans for today?" Seb asked, slinging his leather jacket over his shoulder as they walked down the stone steps. "We don't have a club meeting. Should we hit that new lounge downtown?"
Al shrugged, scrolling through his phone. "I've got no plans, but Willy's busy."
Willy frowned, adjusting his collar against the autumn breeze. "Why the hell would I be busy?"
"Look straight ahead," Al smirked, nodding toward the courtyard below. "Someone's waiting for you."
Willy looked up, his eyes locking onto Tim, who was standing casually at the bottom of the staircase, leaning against a stone pillar. Willy froze for a split second, realizing Tim had already spotted them and was walking directly his way.
"Hello," Tim said, a lazy, unbothered smile spreading across his face as he reached them. "How are you guys?"
Willy sighed heavily, crossing his arms over his chest. "Seriously? What exactly are you doing here, Tim?"
"I was waiting for you, of course," Tim replied effortlessly, his voice smooth. "Did you already forget my promise from yesterday?"
Seb cleared his throat, exchanging a highly knowing glance with Al. "You know what? We'd better leave you two alone to talk logistics."
"Call us if you need backup, Willy," Al added with a chuckle.
Without waiting for an answer, the two turned and walked off, leaving Willy completely stranded. He stared after them, unable to believe his closest friends had abandoned him so quickly to the enemy. He turned his attention back to Tim, his tone instantly turning sharp to hide his discomfort.
"You aren't attending university because of official health problems, remember? The rector explicitly said so. So what exactly are you doing on campus?"
Tim stepped closer, his dark eyes locked onto Willy's with an intensity that made the surrounding noise of the campus fade away. "Even if I were dying, Willy, I'd still find a way to come see you."
Willy felt a familiar, frustrating spike of irritation. Since the start of the semester, he hadn't had a single moment of absolute peace, and now he was being 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 Willy's train of thought. "Let's go grab something to eat and talk."
"I'm not going anywhere with you," Willy flatly refused, his voice firm.
Tim tilted his head, a mocking, incredibly attractive glint in his eyes. "Why not? Are you really that afraid of me ?"
Willy exhaled sharply through his teeth. Why did Tim always try to provoke him? Couldn't they meet just once without turning the air between them into a complete battlefield?
"Let's just talk here," Willy muttered, looking away.
"Whatever you say."
Tim turned and stepped backward toward a quieter, shaded pathway running through the campus botanical gardens. Willy followed reluctantly, his boots crunching against the gravel. He knew he had no choice but to communicate. After all, the survival of their club's national reputation depended entirely on this upcoming tournament.
"So," Willy began, stopping under the deep shade of a large oak tree away from passing students. "What do you want to talk about?"
"The rector said you'd explain all the travel logistics and rules about the competition," Tim said, his playful, mocking demeanor shifting into something entirely straightforward. "That's the only legal reason I'm here."
Willy stared at him, incredulous. He couldn't believe Tim had traveled all the way to campus just for a technical update. "A simple text message would have been enough. You didn't have to come in person in your condition."
Tim's gaze softened for a fraction of a second, the heavy intensity returning to his dark eyes. "But I missed you. That's why I came."
"Stop flirting with me," Willy snapped, turning his face away as a faint, frustrating heat climbed up his neck. "It's not going to work."
Tim let out a soft, genuine laugh that echoed lightly under the branches. 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, unshakeable composure.
"Are you sure about that?" Tim purred, taking a deliberate step into Willy's personal space, cutting the distance between them to mere inches. "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, his pulse hammering in his ears. "That's total bullshit. If you've got nothing else useful to say regarding the brackets, I'm leaving."
Willy turned to walk away, but before he could take a single step, Tim reached out and caught his wrist, stopping him in his tracks. The grip wasn't tight or painful, but it was remarkably firm, warm fingers wrapping around Willy's pulse point, making him freeze.
"I know you need time to figure things out," Tim said softly, his voice surprisingly gentle, devoid of any mockery. "I'll wait. When you're ready, give me your answer."
Tim slowly let go of his wrist, his fingers lingering for a split second before dropping. He gave Willy a final, completely unreadable look, turned around, and walked away toward the campus gates. Willy stood frozen under the tree for a long moment, the strange, electric warmth of Tim's fingers still lingering on his skin.
Finally snapping out of his daze, he shook his head violently and pulled out his phone. He desperately needed a distraction from his own racing thoughts.
Willy:Where are you guys? I need your help.
Seb:We're at the neon lounge 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 first, then you've come to the right place. Get over here.
Willy:On my way.
Willy walked quickly to his car, which was parked in the restricted student lot. The drive through downtown took much longer than expected due to the heavy weekend traffic, but he eventually pulled up to the familiar lounge. Stepping inside the dim, atmospheric room, he quickly spotted Seb and Al sitting in their usual leather booth in the far corner.
"You're late," Seb noted as Willy slid into the booth, looking thoroughly exhausted.
"Traffic was a total nightmare," Willy muttered, rubbing his temples.
Al stood up, patting Willy's shoulder reassuringly. "What are you drinking? The usual?"
"Yeah, please. Double."
"Got it. Don't start the gossip without me," Al laughed, heading toward the bar counter. Since the lounge wasn't crowded yet, he returned a few minutes later with three glasses.
Seb leaned forward, resting his elbows on the polished wood table. "Alright, spill it, Willy. What happened out there with Tim?"
Willy hesitated, staring down at his amber glass, completely unsure of where to even begin describing the whirlwind that was Tim. His friends noticed the rare hesitation immediately. They had known each other forever, grown up in the same neighborhood, gone to the same schools, and now shared the same university halls. They could read his silence like an open book.
"Tim told you he likes you, didn't he?" Al asked bluntly, taking a sip.
Willy looked up, his eyes widening slightly in genuine surprise.
Seb chuckled, shaking his head. "Come on, Willy. It's been painfully obvious from the day he walked into the range. We know you too well. You can't hide a thing from us."
Willy took a slow sip of his drink, letting the liquid burn his throat before speaking. "He didn't exactly say he liked me. He said... he said that I have feelings for him."
Al raised an eyebrow, a massive smirk playing on his lips. "And do you?"
Willy went entirely quiet, the ambient, low-fi music of the bar filling the heavy silence. "I don't know," he admitted honestly, his voice dropping to a vulnerable whisper. "Maybe I do. But I'm really not ready for a serious relationship right now. My life is complicated enough with the family expectations."
"Then look at this national competition as your chance to figure it out," Seb said gently, his tone surprisingly mature.
"Exactly," Al agreed, nodding in tandem. "You won't know unless you actually try. You two are going to be stuck together for three whole days in a hotel. Make the most of it."
Willy had to admit they were right. Three days away from campus, isolated at a tournament venue, would give him more than enough time to dismantle his walls and understand what his heart actually wanted.
They were halfway through their drinks when the glass bell above the bar entrance chimed loudly. Willy's eyes instinctively drifted to the door, and he paused when he recognized the two people entering the establishment.
Seb followed his gaze, his jaw dropping. "Ethan and Logan? What the hell are they doing here together?"
Al nudged Willy hard in the ribs. "Hey, are you going to tell your brother about this?"
"Let's see what's actually going on first," Willy said, his protective instincts instantly flaring. He slid out of the booth, walked across the dim room, and approached their table. "Logan? What are you doing here? Does my brother Miles know you're out?"
Logan looked up, startled by the sudden confrontation, but quickly relaxed, leaning back. "Why should Miles know, Willy? You completely forgot that Ethan and I are in the exact same academic faculty. He didn't understand a complex concept from the finance lecture today and asked me for some tutoring help over a drink."
Ethan looked between the two towering club members, thoroughly confused by the thick tension. "Wait, what's happening here?"
Logan laughed nervously, rubbing the back of his neck. "Willy thought I was cheating on his brother Miles with you, Ethan."
Ethan's eyes went completely wide with shock. "Wait! Logan is your brother's boyfriend?! Oh my god, I had absolutely no idea!"
Watching the misunderstanding clear up from across the room, Seb called out loudly, "Hey! If everything's fine over there, tell them to join our table!"
A moment later, Ethan and Logan brought their notebooks and glasses over to the larger leather booth.
"So, what are you guys doing here anyway?" Ethan asked curiously, taking a seat right next to Al.
"Helping out a potential new couple," Al said smoothly, flashing a devious grin.
Logan raised an eyebrow, immediately intrigued. "New couple? Who in our circle?"
Willy sharply kicked Al's leg under the table.
"Ouch! Damn it, Willy, what?" Al hissed, rubbing his shin painfully. "I'm just being honest!"
"He means Willy and Tim," Seb explained with a massive, delighted grin.
Ethan and Logan stopped talking entirely, looking at each other in utter, paralyzed disbelief.
"What?" Ethan blinked rapidly, setting his glass down. "When did that even become a thing?"
"There is no new couple," Willy insisted through gritted teeth, his voice tight with growing frustration.
"Oh, come on, Willy," Al groaned. "You both clearly give off sparks whenever you're in the same room. It's about time you admit it."
Willy sighed heavily, staring deeply into his remaining drink. "I told you... I'm just not sure yet."
"Alright, alright, calm down, Al," Logan interjected, trying to keep the peace for Willy's sake.
Ethan quieted down significantly, his expression shifting as he looked thoughtfully at Willy. "Honestly, Willy... I wouldn't be surprised if you actually liked Tim. He's incredibly handsome, and he has this cool, deeply mysterious vibe around him. If he actually came to campus regularly like a normal student, he'd easily be more popular than all of us combined."
The table fell into a sudden, highly awkward silence. Everyone instantly recalled the persistent campus rumors that Ethan and Tim were secretly dating.
Ethan noticed the heavy shift in atmosphere. "What? Why did you all go quiet?"
"Because we honestly thought you and Tim were together," Seb admitted frankly, gesturing between them.
Ethan let out a loud, booming laugh, waving his hand dismissively. "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, guys. He needs someone who will truly love him, fiercely take care of him, and stay by his side no matter how dark or terrifying it gets. He's... he's been through a lot of horrible stuff."
Willy's brow furrowed deeply, his full attention snapping back onto Ethan. What exactly had Tim gone through? Was his mysterious administrative health waiver connected directly to his past?
"I don't know all the brutal details," Ethan continued, his tone turning incredibly serious, his usual playful demeanor completely vanishing. "But he severely struggles to sleep at night sometimes he doesn't sleep for days. And there are moments where he's literally terrified of leaving his own apartment. When I pushed him for answers once during a bad episode, he just said it was because of something horrific that happened to him in his childhood."
Logan shook his head pityingly, a soft sigh escaping his lips. "That completely explains why the university administration gave him a total waiver to not attend daily classes or mandatory campus drills."
Ethan turned his head slowly, looking Willy dead in the eye with an intense, protective glare. "I'm telling you this as his closest friend, Willy. Before you start anything with Tim, before you let him play his games, make absolutely sure of your own feelings. Don't play with him. If you break him, he might not survive it."
Willy nodded slowly, a heavy, suffocating feeling settling deep within his chest. He knew Ethan was completely right. He had to be incredibly careful. The absolute last thing he wanted to do was shatter whatever fragile pieces were left of Tim.