...Eros...

...The Sunday sun flooded my room, painting everything in a golden light. After getting ready for the day, I went downstairs for coffee, my mind already planning the adventure that awaited me. A visit to my friend Leonardo and the promise of a trip to the mall. Adrenaline pulsed through my veins, the anticipation of boarding school, which would soon welcome me, filled my thoughts....

...We arranged to meet at 3 p.m., and with each passing minute, the anticipation grew. My father Lorenzo, always thoughtful, dropped us off at the mall, and Leonardo and I immersed ourselves in the universe of movie options....

...While he was concentrating on choosing the movie, my body asked for a short bathroom break. Upon returning, a familiar voice caught my attention:...

..."Eros? You dropped something...."

...I turned around, cell phone glued to my ear, and came face to face with a young man my age. Blond with light eyes, his style mixed rock with a touch of nerd, and in his eyes, an intriguing aura invited me to unravel its mysteries....

...I approach smiling, and he returns it with a slight nod of his lips. As I reach out to grab my student ID, I inadvertently touch his, and feel a chill run through my body....

..."Thank you," I murmur, still surprised by the unexpected connection. "If it weren't for you, I would have had to run after this again. Getting one from the institution wasn't easy...."

...He just smiles as he puts his hands in his jacket pockets....

..."You're welcome, Eros Santoro...."

...Impressive. He already knew my name....

...I thank him once again, his eyes fixed on mine, and turn to go towards the cinema. But before my feet can carry me away, he takes my shoulder and starts walking beside me....

..."My name is Miguel Falconer...."

..."Nice to meet you, Miguel. Good to know your name too," I reply, a shy smile forming on my lips....

...Miguel smiles back. "I'm going to study at that institution too...."

...I stop walking, perplexed by the coincidence. A wave of excitement washes over me....

..."I hope we'll be friends then...."

...I look at my watch, guilt consuming me for being late....

..."Sorry, I have to go, my friend is waiting for me. We're supposed to watch a movie...."

...But before I can walk away, he asks me an unexpected question....

..."Can I have your number? If it's not too much trouble...."

...I'm speechless for a moment, but why not? We're going to be schoolmates, after all. I type my number into his cell phone, and he immediately sends me a message on WhatsApp. I save his contact and get ready to leave....

..."I really have to go now, Miguel. See you tomorrow, okay?..."

...With an unexpected gesture, he tucks a strand of my hair behind my ear....

..."See you tomorrow, Eros Santoro...."

...His smile follows me as I hurry towards the cinema. What a handsome and mysterious guy. Could he be...? No, men don't do that. Hit on other guys in public? Impossible. I must be needy. What made me think a guy like Miguel would be hitting on me?...

...I know I'm handsome and all, and so is Miguel, so no. He wouldn't do that. Unless he was gay. Could he be gay?...

...But I'm not gay. As far as I know, I'm straight. Right?!...

...Doubt lingers in my mind as I head to the cinema. Everything in front of me becomes a blur, my thoughts consumed by a whirlwind of emotions. Miguel Falconer, you will now be fixed in my mind....

...Miguel...

...Half an hour earlier, my cell phone vibrated with a message from my childhood friend, Raul Ferrari: "Mall, wanna go?"...

...Raul and I have been inseparable since we were born, or maybe even before. Our friendship is stronger than any blood ties, and he has always been by my side, through every school change, every new country....

...We started out abroad, exploring the United States and then England. Now, in high school, I decided to return to Brazil to finish my studies at the Royal Academy, and guess who came with me? Yes, the inseparable Raul....

...Although we are like brothers, there is no blood between us. We are accomplices, confidants, partners in everything....

...With my cell phone in hand, I reply to Raul's message: "See you there."...

...Arriving at the mall, I head to the bathroom. As I leave, a guy my age walks past me, dropping something on the floor without noticing. I watch him as he walks on, oblivious to the lost object....

...I look down at the object and see that it is a Royal Academy ID with the name "Eros Santoro". Wow! The name perfectly matches the angelic face of the boy in the photo....

...I call out to him and he turns around, our eyes meeting for a brief moment. Man, I'm not one to do this, I swear! The only person who has ever awakened this kind of admiration in me was Raul, but this Eros......

...I mentally pinch myself. It can't be. I can't be attracted to another man, especially after the thoughts I have about Raul....

...Eros looks at me with a charming smile, revealing dimples that make him look like a Greek god of love. I try to control myself and reach out to hand him the ID. He does the same, and our fingers touch, causing a strange sensation, like deja vu....

...Eros takes the ID, thanks me, and before leaving, I mention that I will also be studying at the Royal Academy. He seems excited about the possibility of us being friends, and my heart skips a beat. More than friends? I pinch myself again. What's happening to me? This feeling only came up when I......

...Before Eros walks away, I take the initiative and ask for his cell phone number. He seems surprised, but gives me his number without hesitation. After all, we're going to be schoolmates, so why not start the friendship now?...

...He types his number into my cell phone and, without thinking twice, I do something Raul usually does with me: I tuck a strand of Eros' hair behind his ear. He blushes slightly, turns his face and says he has to go....

...I say goodbye to him, watching him as he walks away towards the cinema....

...Oh, Eros. I hope you will be my new roommate and, who knows, a great friend. Or maybe something more......

...Raul...

...Sunday. The fog of Sunday laziness mixes with the imminence of returning to school. The sameness that repeats itself year after year, only softened by the presence of "Miguel". I open WhatsApp and there is his message: "Good morning!", a beacon of joy in the midst of a sea of boredom. Miguel, the reason I drag my feet to school, the reason for my watchful eye, the friend I want to protect and, I confess, the company I long for. Deep down, I like him. Romantically and dangerously....

...Raul...

...Doubt gnaws at me: should I confess my feelings today? Insecurity washes over me, despite the solidity of our friendship. I grew up learning to be a man of firm convictions, shaped by the teachings of my parents, the renowned "Ferraris." But Miguel has a way of unsettling me, of throwing me off balance....

...I decide to invite him to the movies. An invitation readily accepted, sealing our meeting....

...I arrive at the cinema and head to the entrance hall, waiting for Miguel. Suddenly, a distracted boy bumps into me, our eyes meeting for a fleeting moment....

..."I'm sorry!" he hastens to say, his eyes fixed on mine....

...Unlike my usual self, I don't feel angry. Instead, I return his gaze with a smile....

..."No problem, sunshine," I reply, noticing a slight blush on his cheeks....

...He seems embarrassed by my response....

..."Thanks, man...."

...Turning my attention to the cinema, I ask:...

..."Which movie are you seeing?..."

...He looks at me again....

..."I think Top Gun...."

...I observe him carefully, taking in his features and expression. There's something captivating about him that piques my curiosity....

..."Listen, if you're alone, do you want to watch the movie with me and my friend?..."

...He smiles, revealing dimples that make him even cuter. An uncontrollable urge to pinch his cheeks washes over me....

..."My friend is waiting for me. But thanks for the invitation. I have to go now...."

...Still looking at him, I nod in agreement. "Alright, sunshine. See you around," I wave my hand in his direction....

...He turns again. "Why are you calling me sunshine?..."

...Maintaining a wide smile, I reply: "Because you didn't tell me your name...."

...He smiles back. "And you didn't tell me yours...."

...With a smirk, I move my face closer to his, leaning in as much as possible. With our faces just inches apart, I turn on all my charm as I stare at him. "My name is Raul Ferrari, baby...."

...He takes two steps back, averting his eyes again. "I, I'm Eros...."

...Eros, huh? A name befitting a god of love. I like it!...

...He turns. "Nice to meet you, Raul, but I have to go, I'm late...."

...This time, I let him go, watching his back as he disappears into the distance. Miguel joins me. "What were you two talking about?..."

...I look at him. "How long have you been watching?..."

...He faces me. "Since the moment he bumped into you...."

...Damn!...

...Eros...

...After the peculiar conversation with this Miguel, I continued walking a little awkwardly, stealing glances back. That's when I bumped into another guy....

...Unlike the previous one, this one was taller and more muscular, with an expression that didn't exude friendliness. However, his beauty was undeniable, as stunning as the other one's....

...There I was again, praising the qualities of another man. My God, what was happening to me? Could it be that at 17 I was discovering I was gay? What were the chances?...

...Or maybe it was normal to admire male beauty. For example, my friend Leonardo was also a striking figure, but I never felt anything for him or mentally complimented him the way I was doing now, observing the arms of the guy in front of me. An incredible tattoo adorned his skin, matching perfectly with his casual style of loose-fitting, designer clothes. And his smile, wide and captivating, was impossible to ignore....

...Eros...

...And he called me sun, little sun... interesting....

...I introduced myself and he did the same. Raul Ferrari. Wow, even his name suited him. The guy really had presence...

...Anyway, in just one day, two men made me speechless, made me blush. Something that had never happened before....

...I said goodbye to the other guy and hurried toward the movie theater....

...Leonardo saw me. "Come on, Eros. The movie's about to start...."

...I ran to catch up with him!...

...Miguel...

...By a stroke of fate, I realize that the path I'm on is the same one Eros is taking....

...Intrigued and excited at the same time, I decide to follow him, observing his every move, every gesture. A sudden urge to invite him to watch the same movie as me and Raul washes over me, but a doubt persists: would Raul approve of this initiative?...

...He often jokes that I'm antisocial, but the truth is that I prefer to keep a certain distance from people, since Raul's company is enough for me. However, it seems that no one understands our relationship, including our mutual friend, Max, who insists on believing that I don't appreciate Raul's presence. Little do they know that it's just my reserved nature....

...Raul, in turn, also has an introspective side. He doesn't befriend just anyone, being as selective as I am. However, I am the one who, unfairly, carries the label of being antisocial....

...Watching Eros bump into Raul, my senses are on high alert, ready to intervene if necessary. However, to my surprise, I see Raul being extremely friendly, even giving Eros a nickname. A gesture that, until then, was reserved only for me and his younger brother. This attitude intrigues me. Could it be that Raul is also enchanted by Eros, just like I am?...

...When Eros walks away, I approach Raul. "What were you two talking about?"...

...Raul looks at me, surprised by my question. He wants to know how long I've been watching, and I reply that I've been watching since the moment they bumped into each other....

...He puts his arm around my shoulder and kisses me on the cheek, making me blush as I turn my face away. "Why do you do that, man?"...

...Raul slowly approaches, his lips lightly brushing against my ear as his voice softly echoes. "You've never made it clear that you don't like it...."

...Damn!...

...My heart skipped a beat. Why can't I just reject him? Could it be that, deep down, there's something more between us than just friendship? A strange dance unfolds: Raul flirting and me pretending not to like it, while he seems to be amused by my discomfort. Could I actually be in love with him?...

...Another kiss on my cheek, and my eyes lock with his. "Aren't you ashamed to do this in public?"...

...With a mischievous smile, he brushes a strand of hair from my face, his eyes piercing mine. "Of course not, Miguelzinho. It's you!"...

...A blush creeps across my cheeks as I hear that affectionate nickname. He guides me with his arm around my shoulders, towards the movie theater. "Here, I bought the tickets. You like Top Gun, don't you?"...

...Without looking at him, I just nod. "Yes, you know me...."

...He gets closer, his lips lightly brushing against my neck as he leads me into the dark cinema. We choose empty seats at the top....