The Almost Confession

Chapter 5 –

The walk home that evening felt different. The streets were quiet, washed in the soft glow of streetlights, but inside Eshan’s chest, everything was restless. Every step he took beside Reyan seemed to pull him closer to something he wasn’t ready to face yet.

“You’re quieter than usual,” Reyan said, slipping his hands into his pockets. His tone was casual, but his eyes lingered on Eshan.

“I… I’m always quiet,” Eshan replied with a small, nervous laugh.

“Not like this,” Reyan countered softly. “It feels like there’s something you want to say.”

Eshan froze for a moment. His heart thudded loudly—had Reyan noticed? Could he really see through him so easily?

Reyan stopped walking and turned to face him fully. The world around them seemed to fall away, leaving only the two of them standing in that moment.

“You know you don’t have to hide from me, right?” he said gently. “Whatever it is… I want to hear it.”

Eshan’s lips parted. The words sat on the edge of his tongue—I think I’m falling for you. His chest ached with the weight of them, begging to be freed.

But fear gripped him tighter. What if Reyan didn’t feel the same? What if saying it changed everything?

So instead, he lowered his gaze and whispered, “Maybe… another time.”

A flicker of disappointment crossed Reyan’s face, but he masked it with a faint smile. He stepped closer, his voice warm, almost a promise.

“Then I’ll wait. No matter how long it takes.”

They resumed walking, their shoulders brushing now and then. The silence between them wasn’t empty—it was charged, alive, filled with everything they hadn’t said yet.

Eshan knew one thing for certain: every day he spent beside Reyan, it became harder to keep his feelings hidden.

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The library rooftop was quiet, the city lights stretching endlessly below. Reyan had dragged Eshan up there after class, saying he needed “fresh air and a better view of life.”

Eshan wasn’t sure about life, but the view of Reyan standing against the night sky was enough to steal his breath.

“It’s beautiful, isn’t it?” Reyan said, eyes fixed on the stars.

Eshan nodded faintly, though his gaze never left Reyan. Beautiful, he thought, but the word wasn’t about the stars.

Reyan noticed and smiled knowingly. “You’re staring again.”

Eshan’s ears burned. “I’m not—”

“Yes, you are,” Reyan cut in, his voice lower now, softer. “And… I don’t mind.”

The words hung between them, heavy with meaning. Reyan stepped closer, the space shrinking until Eshan could feel the warmth radiating from him. Their shoulders brushed, and Eshan’s heart raced so loudly he was sure Reyan could hear it.

His fingers twitched nervously at his side, until at last, courage betrayed him. He reached out—just slightly—and brushed Reyan’s hand.

Reyan didn’t pull away. Instead, he turned his palm and gently laced their fingers together, holding firm.

Eshan’s breath caught. It wasn’t a confession, it wasn’t a kiss—but it felt like more than both. Their joined hands said everything words couldn’t.

For a moment, time stood still. The city, the stars, the world itself faded. There was only the quiet thrum of hearts and the silent truth binding them closer.

And though no words were spoken, Eshan knew this was the beginning of something he could no longer deny.

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