Archive of Our Own

In the Communication faculty, chaos was completely normal.

Last-minute group projects, overpriced coffee, people editing videos at three in the morning, and intense arguments about things no one outside the major would understand.

William, Est, and Nut were in the same year.

Together, they survived improvised presentations, demanding professors, and projects that always seemed easier in theory than in practice.

Nut liked to say that studying communication meant talking a lot and sleeping very little, and so far no one had been able to prove him wrong.

William was the most organized of the three or at least he liked to think he was. He always had notes, planned ahead, and tried to maintain some kind of order in the middle of university chaos.

Est was calmer. A class could be full of stress and he would still seem relaxed, as if nothing was ever too serious.

And Nut… Nut was Nut.

He was always aware of what was happening around him, knew all the gossip before anyone else, and had the strange ability to show up exactly when something interesting was going on.

One year above them was Pond.

They weren’t exactly close friends, but they knew each other well enough to greet each other and talk from time to time.

Pond had been in the program longer, so he understood how things worked better, which professors were stricter, which classes were harder, and which assignments looked simple but definitely weren’t.

Because of that, it wasn’t unusual to see him helping younger students.

Explaining assignments. Sharing notes. Answering questions.

Nothing out of the ordinary. Absolutely nothing.

At least, that was what William thought.

Until he started noticing something strange.

At first, it was small things.

Details that didn’t matter.

Moments that probably meant nothing.

But once William started paying attention…

It became impossible to stop.

William couldn’t remember exactly when it started.

If someone asked him later, he would probably say it happened gradually.

Slow. Logical. Based on evidence.

It wasn’t.

It actually started on an ordinary Tuesday.

A boring Tuesday, full of accumulated sleep deprivation and a class that was far too long about media theory that no one was really listening to.

William was listening.

More or less.

Enough to take notes. Enough to look responsible. Enough to notice that Est wasn’t paying attention.

Again.

William looked up. Est was looking at his phone.

Nothing strange.

Completely normal.

William went back to writing.

Three seconds later he looked up again.

Est was smiling.

William frowned.

That wasn’t strange either.

People smiled.

It was human.

Natural.

But Est kept staring at the screen.

William looked back down.

Wrote another line.

Paused.

Looked up again.

Est was still smiling.

William narrowed his eyes.

That… was repetitive.

Too repetitive.

He leaned slightly.

Just slightly.

Nothing suspicious.

Nothing obvious.

Just academic curiosity.

The phone screen shifted.

A new message appeared.

William couldn’t read everything.

But he saw the name.

Pond.

William froze.

Very still.

Like a dangerous thought had entered his brain.

It didn’t mean anything.

Obviously not.

Pond was older.

Pond helped everyone.

Pond was probably asking something normal.

Academic. Educational. Intellectual.

William looked back at his notes.

"Interpersonal communication — fundamental concept.". He wrote

He stared at the sentence.

With no idea what he had just written.

He looked up again.

Est was typing quickly.

Smiling again.

William slowly set down his pencil.

And at that exact moment, he felt something strange.

Not jealousy. Never jealousy. Something more serious. More objective.

Academic suspicion.

He turned his head slightly.

Nut was two seats away, half asleep.

— Nut - William whispered.

Nut didn’t respond.

William tossed a small piece of paper.

It hit Nut in the face.

— What? - Nut woke up.

— Look at Est - William spoke quietly.

— What about him? - Nut looked.

— He’s texting.

— Everyone’s texting.

— He’s smiling.

— Yeah... - Nut looked again.

— He’s talking to Pond - William lowered his voice even more.

Nut shifted in his chair.

Immediately interested.

— Are you sure?

— I saw the name - William nodded slowly.

Nut watched more carefully.

Est smiled again.

— Oh - Nut whispered.

— What does "oh" mean? - William felt a small chill.

— It could mean many things - Nut spoke with unnecessary seriousness.

— Like what? - William swallowed.

— Emotional connection - Nut answered.

William stopped breathing for a second.

— Constant interaction - Nut continued

— …

— Possible closeness 

William looked forward.

The professor kept talking. The class stayed normal. The world kept turning.

But something had changed.

William looked at Est again.

Est was typing again.

And smiling again.

"This requires investigation", William thought, with complete seriousness.

And without realizing it yet…

That was the beginning of the disaster.

The investigation began immediately.

Because if there was one thing William had, it was academic commitment.

And if something suspicious was happening…

It had to be documented.

William opened a new page in his notebook.

At the top he wrote: Observations

He paused. That sounded too normal. He crossed it out.

Wrote something else: Investigation

Crossed that out too. Too obvious.

He glanced around. No one was looking.

Finally, he wrote: Interpersonal Communication Project

Perfect. Completely innocent.

— What are you doing? - Nut leaned over from his seat.

— Nothing. - William covered the notebook.

— You have a detective face. - Nut looked at him.

— That’s not a real face.

— It is.

William sighed. He opened the notebook slightly.

— Interpersonal Communication Project. - Nut read. - Bro…

Nut slowly looked up.

— It’s research. - William whispered.

— I like it. - Nut smiled.

William looked back at Est.

Est was texting again.

William wrote: 10:42 — Est smiling at his phone

— Good. - Nut observed.

William continued: 10:43 — Still smiling

— Emotional consistency. - Nut nodded.

William wrote that down too. Emotional consistency detected

Just then Est looked up. William lowered the notebook immediately.

Too fast. Suspiciously fast.

— What are you doing? - Est looked at him.

— Nothing. - William answered too quickly.

— Why are you writing so weirdly? - Est narrowed his eyes.

— I’m taking notes.

— But the professor isn’t saying anything right now. - Est looked at the notebook.

— I’m getting ahead. - William answered without hesitation.

— Getting ahead of what?

— Knowledge.

— Okay… - Est stared at him for a few seconds.

He looked back at his phone.

William exhaled slowly.

— We almost got caught. - Nut whispered.

— There is no "we." - William said.

— We’re a team.

William didn’t answer.

Because at that moment something serious happened. Very serious.

Est typed something.

Waited.

The phone vibrated.

Est read the message and his smile got bigger, much bigger.

— That’s progress. - Nut whispered.

William immediately wrote: 10:47 — Smile increased

— High level. - Nut added.

William wrote: High level

— This is no coincidence anymore. - Nut crossed his arms.

William slowly closed the notebook.

— We need in-person evidence.

— Operation surveillance. - Nut smiled.

— After class. - William nodded. 

— You may leave. - the professor said.

William stood up immediately. Too fast. His chair made a loud noise. The entire classroom turned.

William smiled stiffly.

— Sorry. - He sat back down.

— Relax. - Nut whispered.

— I am relaxed. - William answered.

The class officially ended thirty seconds later.

William stood up again. More controlled. More strategic. More suspicious.

Est packed his things without rushing.

William pretended to organize his notebook.

Nut pretended to help.

Est stood up.

— Target in motion. - William whispered.

— Copy that. - Nut said.

Est walked toward the door.

William waited two seconds.

— Let’s go.

They walked out.

And then they saw him.

Pond was leaning against the wall.

Waiting.

Like a planned scene.

— Oh no. - Nut whispered.

— Oh yes. - William responded.

Est walked over. Smiled.

Pond smiled back.

William felt his heart beating faster.

Only scientifically. Only objectively. Only as an observer.

— You came. - Est said smiling.

William internally ceased to exist.

— That’s very romantic. - Nut whispered.

— I know.

— I said I would. - Pond replied to Est.

William closed his eyes for a second.

Tragically.

Dramatically.

Inevitably.

And just like that…

The situation went from suspicious to critical.

William reacted the way any rational person would have.

He hid behind a column.

— Further back - he whispered.

Nut took a step.

— Not that much.

Nut moved back.

— Now I can’t see anything, lean.

Nut leaned too much.

A student walked by and looked at him strangely.

— Natural - William said.

Nut straightened up.

— There is nothing natural about this.

William didn’t respond.

Because Est and Pond were talking.

Very focused.

William narrowed his eyes.

— They’re speaking quietly.

— Secrets. - Nut whispered.

— Definitely secrets. - William responded.

Then Pond took something out of his backpack.

William stopped breathing.

— Object detected.

Nut looked.

— It’s a bag.

— What kind of bag?

Nut leaned slightly.

— Transparent.

William felt chills.

— Transparent means trust.

— High level. - Nut nodded.

Pond handed the bag to Est. He opened it, looked inside and smiled.

Again. Worse than before.

— Critical smile. - Nut whispered.

— Critical smile confirmed. - William spoke without emotion.

— Thanks. - Est said.

William rested his head against the column.

— Thanks again.

Nut shook his head slowly.

— That’s repetitive.

— Too repetitive. - William confirmed.

Then something happened that nobody expected.

Est took something out of the bag.

A bottle.

Nut blinked.

— Water?

William looked at him.

— It’s not water.

— How do you know?

— Because this is personal. - William answered with absolute certainty.

Est opened the bottle. Drank.

William froze.

— He’s using his bottle. - Nut said.

William felt the universe break.

— He’s using his bottle.

— That means physical trust. - Nut spoke gravely.

William closed his eyes.

— I knew it.

— You always bring this. - Est said.

William opened his eyes slowly.

— Always. - Nut whispered.

— Always. - William repatead.

— I knew you were going to forget it. - Pond replied.

William stopped blinking.

— He knows him. - Nut murmured.

— Too well. 

— Too well.

— This is no longer academic.- William took a deep breath.

— This is personal. - Nut nodded.

William looked again.

And then the worst happened. The absolute worst.

Pond raised his hand.

And fixed Est’s hair.

Just for a second.

But it happened.

William grabbed the column.

— Contact.

— Contact. - Nut opened his eyes dramatically. 

— Confirmed.

— Confirmed.

Silence.

— I need to sit down. - William spoke slowly.

— That’s normal.

— That’s not normal.

— It’s normal for emotional situations.

William stared into the distance.

— This is worse than I thought.

Then Est turned.

Directly toward them.

William froze.

Nut too.

— William? - Est frowned.

Dead silence.

William slowly stepped out from behind the column.

As if he had always been there.

— Hi.

Est blinked.

— What are you doing there?

— Passing by. - William answered.

Est looked at the column.

Then at him.

— Behind the column?

— Yes. - William responded. 

— Why?

— Architecture. - William answered immediately.

Pond raised his hand.

— Hi.

William looked at him like he was his archenemy.

— Hi.

Awkward silence.

— Pond was helping me. - Est said.

William smiled tightly.

— Of course.

— With the assignment.

— Perfect.

— For audiovisual narrative.

— Excellent.

Est lifted the bottle.

— He also brought my water because I forgot it.

— Very considerate.

Pause.

— Are you okay?

— Perfectly.

Nut appeared behind him.

— He’s perfectly fine.

William looked at him.

Betrayal.

Est narrowed his eyes.

— You’re acting weird.

— We’re not weird. - William answered.

— Not at all. - Nut replied.

— Ok… - Est said.

He went back to talking to Pond. Like nothing had happened.

William slowly walked backward. Nut followed him.

— Did you see everything? - Nut said when they were far away.

— I saw too much. - William answered.

Nut crossed his arms.

— Conclusion.

— They’re in love. - William spoke with absolute certainty.

— Definitely. - Nut nodded.

William looked ahead. With determination. With drama. With zero logic.

— I’m going to prove it.

He didn’t know exactly how he was going to prove it but that wasn’t important.

Great investigators didn’t start with answers.

They started with determination and William had too much of it.

They walked in silence for a few seconds.

— We need tests. - Nut said.

William nodded.

— Solid tests.

— Real evidence.

— Irrefutable.

Nut stopped.

— Or we could ask.

William stopped too.

Looked at him like he had said something offensive.

— No.

— No?

— That would ruin the investigation.

Nut thought for a few seconds.

— You’re right.

William kept walking.

— We need something subtler.

— Discreet.

— Intelligent.

At that moment Est appeared behind them.

— William.

William jumped. Literally.

— AH!

Est stepped back.

— What’s wrong with you?

William was breathing fast.

— Nothing.

— You got scared.

— I didn’t get scared.

— He got scared. - Nut replied.

— Shut up.

Est frowned.

— Why are you whispering all the time?

— We’re not whispering. - William answered.

— Yes we are whispering. - Nut whispered.

William nudged him.

— Silence.

Est crossed his arms.

— You’re very weird.

— We’re not weird.

Est looked at him a few more seconds.

— Hey, are you going tomorrow?

William froze.

— Where?

— To study.

Silence.

William felt maximum alert.

— Who else is going?

— Pond. - Est answered with total innocence.

William stopped existing for the second time that day.

— Private meeting. - Nut whispered.

— I know.

— He understands the course better. - Est continued.

— Of course. - William responded.

— And he said he could help us.

— Perfect.

Silence.

— So… are you coming?

— Yes. - William answered immediately. 

Too fast.

Very fast.

Est blinked.

— Ok… ,see you at four.

— Perfect.

Est left.

William stayed still.

Nut looked at him slowly.

— It’s a date.

William turned his head.

— It’s not a date.

— Private meeting.

— Academic.

— With drinks.

— Water.

— Personal.

William took a deep breath.

— It’s our opportunity.

Nut smiled.

— Operation infiltration.

William nodded.

— Exactly.

Nut raised a finger.

— Objectives.

— One: observe interaction. - William spoke seriously.

— Good.

— Two: detect emotional signals.

— Excellent.

— Three: confirm suspicions.

Nut nodded.

— Solid plan.

William looked ahead.

Intensely.

— Tomorrow we’ll know the truth.

— And what if nothing happens? - Nut asked.

— Something will happen. - William answered immediately.

— How do you know?

William couldn’t sleep.

He tried.

He turned off the light.

Got comfortable.

Turned to one side.

Then the other.

Closed his eyes.

Opened them again.

Because every time he tried to fall asleep…

He remembered things.

Small things.

Things that had seemed normal before.

Not now.

Now they seemed like clues.

He sat up in bed.

Sighed.

— I’m exaggerating… - William muttered.

But he started thinking anyway.

Because if Est had really been hurt…

Then there had to be signs.

There had to be.

William always found signs.

He was good at observing.

He was a communication student.

Analyzing behavior was basically homework.

So he started.

First memory.

A simple one.

A few months ago.

The group was in the cafeteria.

Nut was talking nonstop.

Pond was making fun of someone from class.

William was focused on finishing an assignment.

And Est was sitting next to him.

Nothing special.

Normal.

Until William remembered something.

He had looked up for a moment.

And Est was already looking at him.

Not casually.

Not by accident.

Really looking at him.

And when William noticed…

Est had looked away too quickly.

At the time William had only thought:

That’s weird.

Now he thought:

Oh.

He lay back down again.

Second memory.

The day they had to choose partners for a presentation.

The professor said:

“Find a partner.”

William had barely lifted his head when

— Let’s go together. - Est had said.

Fast.

Very fast.

As if he had already decided.

William hadn’t seen anything strange.

It made sense.

They always worked together.

But now…

He remembered something else.

— Hey, I was going to ask him. - Nut had said.

— Too slow. - Est had replied with a smile.

Like it was a joke.

But William remembered it hadn’t sounded completely like one.

He covered his face with the pillow.

— No…

Third memory.

The worst one.

Two weeks ago.

It had been raining.

William had forgotten his jacket.

Est had lent him his.

Normal.

Until William remembered what he said afterward.

“Give it back tomorrow.”

Nothing strange.

But then he had added:

“Don’t wash it.”

William had asked.

— Why?

And Est had gone quiet for a second.

A strange second.

Then he said.

— Because it gets ruined.

William had accepted that without thinking.

Now he was completely sure of something.

That made absolutely no sense.

He sat up again.

Palier.

— Okay.

Silence.

— Okay.

He ran a hand over his face.

Because the problem was no longer whether Est felt something.

The problem was something else.

Something worse.

Much worse.

Because if Est felt something…

Then he had been trying to hide it all this time.

And William…

Hadn’t noticed anything.

Anything.

He fell back onto the bed.

Defeated.

Staring at the ceiling.

— I’m an idiot. - William said quietly.

Silence.

— A terrible idiot.

Because Est had been there the whole time.

And he had been investigating Pond.

Pond.

The only one who clearly wasn’t involved.

William covered his eyes again.

— Unbelievable.

And then the final thought appeared.

The one he couldn’t ignore.

The worst one of all.

If Est was really in love with him…

Then William had to decide something.

Because he couldn’t pretend he didn’t know anymore.

He couldn’t act like nothing was happening.

He had to respond.

Somehow.

And the problem was…

William still didn’t know what the answer was.

He kept staring at the ceiling.

As if at some point the answer would appear written there.

It didn’t.

After a while, he sat up again.

Very serious.

Very focused.

Because if there was one thing William knew how to do…

It was organize problems.

And this was clearly a problem.

So he grabbed his notebook.

The one he used for notes.

He opened it to a blank page.

At the top, in big letters, he wrote:

SITUATION: EST

He stared at the title for a few seconds.

Then he added underneath: Possible scenario: Est might be in love with me.

William stared at the sentence.

Feeling his face heat up again.

— Hypothesis. - William corrected himself quietly.

He crossed out scenario.

Wrote: Hypothesis.

Much better.

More scientific.

Safer.

Then he drew a line down the middle of the page.

And wrote two columns.

EVIDENCE IN FAVOR

EVIDENCE AGAINST

He adjusted in his seat.

Took a deep breath.

This was familiar territory.

This he understood.

He wrote in the first column: He looks at me strangely sometimes.

He thought for a moment.

Added: He gets nervous around me.

Then: He got upset? when I said “we’re friends.”

William paused.

Looked at that last sentence.

And felt something uncomfortable in his chest.

But he kept going.

Because he had to be objective.

Then he moved to the other column.

EVIDENCE AGAINST

He sat there for a long time without writing anything.

A long time.

Too long.

Finally, he wrote: We’re friends.

He stared at it.

It didn’t look very convincing.

He added: He never said it directly.

Better.

More solid.

He thought a little longer.

Nothing.

That was all.

William looked at both columns.

For a long time.

A very long time.

Then he muttered.

— This is inconclusive.

He leaned back in his chair.

Frustrated.

Because he needed more data.

More evidence.

More clarity.

And then his phone vibrated.

William almost jumped.

He grabbed it immediately.

New message.

From Nut.

“Are you still alive?”

William blinked.

“Yes.” - He replied.

The answer came within seconds.

“Pond says you were acting weird today.”

William froze.

“I wasn’t acting weird.”

Three dots.

Nut typing.

“Est was weird too.”

William felt his heart thud hard in his chest.

“How weird?”

Three dots again.

“Quiet.”

“Calm.”

“Like sad.”

William stopped breathing for a second.

Then another message came in.

“Did you guys fight?”

William stared at the screen.

And for the first time…

He didn’t know what to answer.

Because technically they hadn’t fought.

But something had happened.

Something important.

Something irreversible.

“No.” - William typed. 

Deleted it.

“I think I hurt him.”

Sent.

Silence.

Three dots.

They disappeared.

Came back.

“William.” - Nut replied.

“What did you do?”

William stared at the message.

For a long time.

“I told him we’re just friends.”

Sent.

Five seconds passed.

Ten.

Fifteen.

Then the reply came.

“…”

“I know, I was there”

Then another message.

“You’re unbelievable.”

William frowned.

“Why?”

The answer came immediately.

“In the worst way.”

William stared at the screen.

And for the first time that night…

He felt real panic.

Because Nut was the most observant person in the group.

If Nut reacted like that…

Then probably…

The hypothesis was correct.

William kept staring at the screen.

Nut’s last message was still there:

“In the worst way.”

He didn’t type anything for almost a minute.

“Explain.”

Sent.

Three dots.

They disappeared.

Came back.

Disappeared again.

“I can’t believe you didn’t notice.”

William felt something in his stomach sink.

“Notice what?” - He answered.

The reply came faster this time.

“Est.”

William swallowed.

Even though he was alone, he typed more slowly.

“What about Est?”

Three dots.

A long time.

Too long.

“William.”

“Est has been in love with you for years.”

William stopped breathing.

Literally.

He went completely still.

The screen lighting up his face.

As if he had just read something dangerous.

Something forbidden.

Something impossible.

He reread the message.

Once.

Twice.

Three times.

“For years.”

Years.

— No. —William whispered.

But it sounded weak.

Because suddenly…

Everything made sense.

Too much sense.

He grabbed his notebook.

Looked at the page.

HYPOTHESIS.

He felt like crossing it out.

Because it didn’t look like a hypothesis anymore.

It looked like a fact.

His phone vibrated again.

“I thought you already knew.”

“I DIDN’T KNOW.” - William replied immediately. 

The answer came quickly.

“Seriously?”

“SERIOUSLY.”

Three dots.

“How did you not know?”

William stared at the question.

He had no answer.

Because he didn’t understand it himself.

Then Nut sent another message.

“Pond knew.”

William sat up straight.

“WHAT?”

Immediate reply.

“Not obviously.”

“But he suspected.”

Another message.

“We all suspected.”

William felt like the world tilted slightly.

“All???”

“Except you, apparently.”

William leaned back in his chair again.

Staring at the ceiling.

Destroyed.

Because that meant something horrible.

Everyone had seen it.

Everyone except him.

Another message from Nut.

“William.”

“Do you realize what you did?”

William looked at the screen.

“I just told the truth.” - He replied.

Three dots.

They disappeared.

Came back.

“No.”

“You said the safest thing.”

William frowned.

“It’s the same.”

The reply came almost immediately.

“No, it’s not.”

Silence.

Then another message.

“You knew that would crush him.”

William tightened his grip on the phone.

Because no.

He hadn’t known.

Or maybe he hadn’t wanted to know.

“I didn’t think it was that serious.” - He replied.

Three dots.

“Because you never think about those kinds of things.”

That hurt.

More than he expected.

Nut continued.

“Est didn’t need logic.”

“He needed clarity.”

William closed his eyes.

Because he could picture it.

Est smiling a little.

Expecting something.

And then hearing:

“We’re friends.”

— Damn it. - William whispered.

New message.

“Are you going to do something?”

William stared at the question.

For a long time.

Because he didn’t know what do something really meant.

Apologize?

Explain?

Say something different?

The problem was…

First he had to understand something.

Something fundamental.

“I don’t know what I feel.”

Sent.

Three dots.

“Then figure it out fast.”

William frowned.

“Why?”

Immediate response.

“Because if you don’t decide…”

Three dots.

One last message appeared.

“Someone else will.”

William froze.

Because he knew exactly what that meant.

And he didn’t like it at all.

William kept staring at the last message.

He felt something uncomfortable in his chest.

Something tight.

Like anxiety.

Or maybe something else.

"What does that mean?"

Sent.

Three dots.

"It means Est isn’t going to wait forever."

Another message appeared immediately.

"And he’s attractive."

William blinked.

Read that again.

"What does that have to do with anything?"

Three dots.

"William, a lot of people think Est is attractive."

William frowned.

That wasn’t new information.

Of course Est was attractive.

That was objectively true.

But that wasn’t relevant.

"That doesn’t change anything."

Three dots.

"Are you sure?"

William stared at the word.

Sure.

He didn’t feel sure.

Not even a little.

Nut wrote again.

"Imagine he starts liking someone else."

William replied immediately.

"No."

He sent it before thinking.

Then stared at what he had written.

Very still.

Because that hadn’t been a logical answer.

It had been automatic.

Three dots.

"No what?"

William didn’t reply.

Because he didn’t know how to explain it.

Nut insisted.

"He can’t like someone else?"

William typed slowly.

"He can."

Sent.

Three dots.

"But you don’t like the idea."

William clenched his jaw.

Didn’t answer.

Three dots.

Another message.

"Interesting."

William felt heat rise to his face again.

"It doesn’t mean anything."

Immediate response.

"Of course."

"Totally normal to say “no” instantly."

William let his head fall back.

— Shut up, Nut… - William muttered.

New message.

"Are you jealous?"

William almost dropped his phone.

"NO."

Sent.

Three dots.

"William, you investigated Pond for two weeks."

William froze.

Because that sounded worse when someone else said it.

Nut added.

"That’s not neutral behavior."

William stood up from the chair.

Started pacing.

— I’m not jealous… —William said quietly.

But it didn’t sound convincing.

His phone vibrated again.

"Look, I’m going to ask you something."

William stopped.

Waiting.

"If tomorrow Est shows up saying he likes someone else…"

Pause.

Another message.

"Would you feel happy for him?"

William stared at the screen.

And for the first time…

He didn’t have an immediate answer.

He went still.

Because he tried to imagine it.

Est smiling.

Est talking about someone else.

Est looking at someone the way he looked at him.

He felt something ugly in his chest.

Something heavy.

Something he didn’t like at all.

And that…

Was an answer.

William stood in the middle of the room.

Phone in his hand.

Not moving.

Because the feeling wouldn’t go away.

That strange weight in his chest.

That discomfort.

It wasn’t logical.

It wasn’t rational.

But it was there.

And it made him nervous.

He looked at the screen again.

The question was still there:

"Would you feel happy for him?"

— I should. - William whispered.

Because that was the right thing.

That was what a friend did.

But the word should wasn’t the same as yes.

He slowly sat down again.

As if he needed physical support to think.

And then he remembered something.

An old conversation.

Very old.

They had been walking after class.

Talking about nothing.

Like always.

And Est had said.

—If I ever have a partner…

William had barely been listening.

But he remembered the rest.

—…I want you to like them.

William had answered without thinking.

—If you like them, I’m sure I will too.

He remembered Est going quiet for a few seconds.

Then he had said.

—Not necessarily.

William had asked.

—Why?

And Est had replied.

—Because sometimes important people… don’t want to share.

William hadn’t understood at the time.

He had thought they were speaking in general.

In theory.

Now it didn’t feel like theory.

Now it felt like a warning.

—Oh… - William murmured.

Because Est had thought about that.

Long before.

Much, much earlier.

While he…

Hadn’t even considered the possibility.

The phone vibrated again.

A message appeared on the screen.

"You still alive?"

"Yeah." - William typed. 

Three dots appeared.

Then another message.

"Answer?"

William looked at the question.

Thought for a few seconds.

"I don’t think I’d like it."

Sent.

The three dots appeared again.

Then the reply came.

"Ok."

Another message appeared right after.

"That’s pretty clear."

"It doesn’t mean I like him."

Sent.

The answer came immediately.

"William."

Another message.

"There’s no romance tribunal."

William blinked.

Another message appeared.

"You don’t have to justify feelings."

Silence.

Then another arrived.

"You just have to recognize them."

William stared at the screen.

Feeling something strange in his throat.

Because that sentence…

Felt important.

More important than he expected.

Another message arrived.

"I’m going to ask you something else."

William sighed.

"What?"

Three dots.

Then the message appeared.

"When Est was sad today…"

Pause.

Another message arrived.

"Did it hurt to see him like that?"

William didn’t reply immediately.

Because he didn’t need to think.

He knew the answer.

He remembered the feeling perfectly.

That moment.

The way Est had avoided looking at him.

The quieter voice.

The fake smile.

Yes.

It had hurt.

A lot.

"Yes."

Sent.

Three dots.

Then the reply came.

"Then you already know where to start."

William looked at the message.

He frowned.

"What does that mean?"

The answer appeared.

"It means you should talk to him."

William felt immediate panic.

"No."

Sent.

Three dots.

"Yes."

"I don’t know what to say." - William replied quickly.

"Start with the truth."

Silence.

Another message appeared.

"Est always prefers the truth."

William kept staring at the screen.

Thinking about that.

Because it was true.

Est really was like that.

He had always been like that.

Honest.

Direct.

Even when it hurt.

William leaned his head against the wall.

—Tomorrow… - He said quietly.

Because today he couldn’t.

Today was too much.

But tomorrow…

Maybe yes.

Maybe he could understand better.

Maybe he could say something right.

Maybe he could fix it.

The phone vibrated one last time.

A new message appeared.

"William."

Another message.

"Don’t make him wait too long."

William didn’t reply.

But not because he didn’t want to.

It was because deep down…

He knew he was right.

William didn’t sleep well.

When he finally fell asleep it was almost dawn.

And when he woke up…

The first thing he thought was:

I have to see him today.

He slowly opened his eyes.

Looked at the ceiling.

Hoping, for a second, that everything had been an exaggeration.

That maybe he had misunderstood.

That maybe they had exaggerated.

That maybe…

No.

The memory came back completely.

The conversation.

The notebook.

The messages.

Est has been in love with you for years.

William covered his face with the pillow.

—Damn… —he muttered.

Because now there was a new problem.

A very practical one.

How was he supposed to act?

He couldn’t act normal.

Because now he knew.

But he also couldn’t arrive saying:

Hi, I know you’re in love with me.

That sounded horrible.

William sat on the bed.

Thinking.

Analyzing.

Because he needed a plan.

He always needed a plan.

He got up.

Changed clothes.

Brushed his teeth while staring suspiciously at his reflection.

As if the version of him in the mirror might have answers.

—Just talk… —he told himself.

He spat out the toothpaste.

—That’s it.

He looked at himself again.

—Just talk.

It sounded easy.

It wasn’t.

He arrived at the university earlier than usual.

Much earlier.

Because walking helped him think.

And thinking helped him not panic.

But the moment he walked through the door…

He realized something.

Maybe he wasn’t ready.

Because the campus was full of people.

Conversations.

Laughter.

Movement.

Everything normal.

And he felt completely abnormal.

He saw Nut first.

Sitting where he always sat.

With his coffee.

Nut looked up.

Saw him.

And slowly smiled.

A dangerous smile.

William walked over.

And dropped into the chair.

—You look dead - Nut said.

—I feel dead - William replied.

Nut nodded.

—Normal.

Silence.

—Are you going to talk to him? - He asked.

William stared at the table.

—Yes.

Nut raised an eyebrow.

—When?

William hesitated.

—Today.

Nut nodded again.

As if checking something off an invisible list.

—Good.

William looked around.

—Where is he? - He finally asked.

—He hasn’t arrived yet - Nut replied calmly.

William felt something strange.

A mix of relief and nerves.

—Oh.

Nut took a sip of his coffee.

—But Pond has.

William raised his head.

—Where?

Nut gestured with his chin.

William looked.

And saw Pond outside the classroom, on the hallway.

Talking to someone.

Laughing.

Normal.

Completely normal.

William frowned.

Because suddenly he remembered something.

Something important.

He looked at Nut.

—Did Pond know?

—He suspected - Nut replied.

William looked back at Pond.

Thinking.

—I need to ask him something.

Nut smiled.

—This is going to be good.

William stood up.

Not completely sure what he was doing.

But sure that he needed more information.

Because if Est had been hiding this for years…

Maybe Pond had seen things he hadn’t.

He walked toward Pond.

Each step more determined than the last.

Until he reached him.

Pond looked up.

—Hey.

William spoke directly.

—I need to talk to you.

Pond blinked.

—Sounds serious.

—It is - William replied.

Pond looked around.

—Ok…

And William thought:

This is the point of no return.

Pond looked at him curiously as they stepped a little away from the hallway.

—What happened? - he asked - You look like you’re about to confess to a crime.

William crossed his arms.

—I need to ask you something important.

Pond smiled.

—That definitely sounds like a crime.

William didn’t smile.

And that made Pond stop smiling too.

—Ok… what’s going on?

William hesitated for a second.

Just one.

But it was enough for Pond to frown.

—Did you know something about Est? - He finally said.

Pond blinked.

—That’s a dangerously broad question.

William lowered his voice.

—About… him liking someone.

Pond stared at him.

Too directly.

William started to feel uncomfortable.

—What?

Pond crossed his arms.

—You’re only finding out now?

William felt his stomach drop.

—So you did know.

Pond sighed.

—I didn’t know.

He made air quotes.

—But I’m not blind either.

William looked at the floor.

—Everyone says that.

Pond let out a small laugh.

—Because it’s true.

Then Pond tilted his head slightly.

—The real question is… why are you asking?

William answered too quickly.

—Curiosity.

Pond looked at him without expression.

—Lie.

William tensed.

Pond continued.

—Yesterday you were investigating whether Est liked me.

William froze.

Pond smiled a little.

—Yeah, Nut told me.

William closed his eyes for a second.

Betrayal.

Definitely betrayal.

—And now you’re here asking if I noticed. - Pond added.

He leaned against the wall.

—Something happened.

William hesitated.

Because saying it out loud would make it too real.

But he said it anyway.

—I told him we’re just friends.

Pond went still.

Very still.

—Ah.

Just that.

Ah.

But that ah sounded full of meaning.

—I didn’t know - William said.

Pond nodded slowly.

—I believe you.

William looked up.

Surprised.

—You do?

Pond shrugged.

—You’re incredibly oblivious.

William sighed.

—Thanks.

—That wasn’t sarcasm - Pond added.

Pause.

—Well… a little bit.

Silence.

Then Pond asked.

—And now?

William hesitated.

—I don’t know.

Pond studied him for a few seconds.

—Do you like him?

William felt his brain stop.

—What?

—Est - Pond repeated calmly.

William opened his mouth.

Closed it.

—I…

Nothing came out.

Pond nodded slowly.

As if that answer was enough.

—Okey.

William frowned.

—Okey what?

—That means yes.

William reacted immediately.

—I didn’t say that.

Pond raised an eyebrow.

—You didn’t say no either.

William stayed silent.

Again.

And again that was enough.

Pond smiled a little.

—You know what’s funny?

William looked at him suspiciously.

—What?

—I always thought that if Est stopped trying… you’d notice.

William blinked.

—Trying?

Pond nodded.

—Yeah.

Pause.

—Est was always there.

William felt something tighten in his chest.

—Always with you. - Pond continued. - Always available. Always paying attention.

He shrugged.

—It was easy to get used to.

Silence.

—But when someone stops doing it… - He added softly. - You notice.

William said nothing.

Because he was right.

It was noticeable.

Very noticeable.

More than he expected.

More than he liked to admit.

Pond straightened up.

—My advice.

William looked up.

—What?

—Don’t make him wait too long.

William sighed.

—Everyone says that.

Pond smiled.

—Because we all care about Est.

Pause.

—And because if you mess it up… - He added. - Nut will never let you live it down.

—I’m already worried about that - William muttered.

Pond laughed.

But then he said something more serious.

—He’s coming.

William tensed.

—Who?

Pond pointed behind him.

William turned.

And saw Est entering the hallway.

Backpack over one shoulder.

Walking like always.

Normal.

But not completely normal.

Because he wasn’t looking around.

He wasn’t searching for anyone.

Just walking.

As if he wanted to go unnoticed.

William felt his heart start racing.

Because now…

There were no more excuses.

He was there.

William stood still.

Too aware of everything suddenly.

The noise in the hallway.

People passing by.

Pond beside him.

And Est getting closer.

Each step felt too slow.

And too fast at the same time.

—Breathe - Pond murmured.

William didn’t answer.

Because he had forgotten how.

Est was only a few meters away now.

Looking at his phone while walking.

Normal.

Completely normal.

And that made everything worse.

Because William knew nothing was normal.

Pond gave his arm a small push.

—Go.

William looked at him.

With absolute betrayal.

But Pond was already walking away.

Coward.

William looked forward again.

Est was about to walk past him.

And for a second…

William considered letting him.

Waiting for another day.

Another moment.

A better moment.

But he remembered something.

"Don’t make him wait too long."

So he spoke.

—Est.

Not very loud.

But enough.

Est stopped.

William saw the exact moment he recognized him.

The second he lifted his head.

And looked at him.

There was a small pause.

Almost invisible.

But William saw it.

Because now he was noticing everything.

—Hi - Est said.

Normal.

Polite.

A little distant.

William hated that.

Because Est had never been distant with him.

Never.

—Can we talk? - William said.

Est hesitated.

Just one second.

But he hesitated.

—Yeah.

That was different too.

Before, he would have said of course immediately.

They walked toward a quieter corner.

Uncomfortable silence.

William didn’t know where to start.

He had planned something.

But now his mind was empty.

Completely empty.

Est spoke first.

—Did something happen?

Formal.

Too formal.

William shook his head.

—Yes.

He corrected himself.

—I mean… yes.

Est waited.

Patient.

Like always.

And that made it worse.

—Yesterday… - William said.

And then got stuck.

Because he didn’t know how to continue.

Est lowered his gaze for a moment.

—If it’s about yesterday… - He said.

He smiled a little.

But it didn’t reach his eyes.

—It’s nothing.

William felt something tighten in his chest.

Because it clearly wasn’t nothing.

—It is something - William said.

Est looked up.

Surprised.

William swallowed.

—I think I said something wrong.

Est stayed still.

William continued.

—When I said we’re just friends.

Silence.

Very long.

—You didn’t say anything wrong. - Est replied.

His voice was calm.

Too calm.

William shook his head.

—I did.

Pause.

—Because I think I hurt you.

Est didn’t answer immediately.

He looked away.

—You don’t have to worry about that. - Est said softly.

William stepped closer.

—I do.

Est looked up.

And for the first time…

He looked genuinely nervous.

William took a deep breath.

—I didn’t know.

Est frowned slightly.

—Know what?

William felt his heart beating too fast.

But he said it anyway.

—I didn’t know that…

He stumbled.

Tried again.

—I didn’t know I mattered to you like that.

Absolute silence.

Est went completely still.

As if he had stopped breathing.

William continued more quietly.

—If I had known… I wouldn’t have said it like that.

Est lowered his gaze.

—Who told you? - He said very slowly.

—Nut - William replied.

Small pause.

—And Pond suspected.

Est closed his eyes for a second.

—Great.

He didn’t sound angry.

He sounded tired.

—They didn’t tell me to mess with you - William said quickly.

Est shook his head softly.

—I know.

Silence.

—It still doesn’t change anything.- He added.

William felt a blow in his chest.

—Yes, it does.

Est looked up.

—Because now I understand better - William said.

Est looked at him.

Directly.

—Understand what?

William fell silent.

Because that…

Was the important question.

William opened his mouth.

Then closed it.

Because there were many possible answers.

But none of them felt enough.

Est was still looking at him.

Waiting.

Not pressuring him.

And that made everything harder.

Finally William spoke.

— I understand… why it hurt you.

Est didn’t react immediately.

He only lowered his gaze for a moment.

Then he nodded slightly.

— Okey.

But that okey didn’t sound satisfied.

It sounded like it wasn’t what he expected.

William noticed.

And something in his chest tightened again.

— And I understand it’s not something small. - He added.

Est looked up again.

William continued more slowly.

— It’s not just… liking someone.

Pause.

— It’s… that it’s me.

Est didn’t say anything.

But he didn’t look away either.

William took a deep breath.

Because this was the hard part.

The part without a script.

— And I understand you’ve probably been feeling like this for a long time.

Est hesitated.

— It doesn’t matter how long. - He said.

William shook his head softly.

— I think it does matter.

Because it meant something.

A lot.

It meant Est had been there all those years.

Liking him quietly.

While he…

Hadn’t even noticed.

William lowered his voice.

— I’m sorry.

Est stayed still.

— Not for not feeling the same. - William continued.

Pause.

— But for not seeing it.

That seemed important.

Because Est took a deep breath.

As if something loosened a little.

— You must have felt really alone with that. - William added.

— Sometimes. - Est said.

Honest.

Simple.

No drama.

And that made it hurt more.

William felt something tighten in his chest again.

Because he hated that idea.

Est feeling alone.

Even while he was right beside him.

— But it’s not your fault. - Est said softly.

William answered almost immediately.

— I still care.

The words came out on their own.

No plan.

No filter.

Est looked up.

Surprised.

William looked a little surprised too.

Because he hadn’t planned to say that.

But it was true.

And Est saw it.

Because his expression changed slightly.

Softer.

More open.

William swallowed.

And said something even more dangerous.

— I care about you a lot.

Silence.

Very deep.

Est didn’t move.

He didn’t even blink.

William felt his heart pounding in his chest.

Because now there was no way to go back.

Then Est asked very slowly.

— As a friend?

It didn’t sound sarcastic.

It didn’t sound bitter.

It sounded careful.

Like he needed to know.

Like he was afraid of the answer.

And William understood something in that moment.

That question wasn’t pressure.

It was protection.

Est was trying not to hurt himself again.

William looked at him for a long moment.

Because the answer mattered.

A lot.

And this time…

He didn’t want to say something without thinking.

William didn’t answer immediately.

He was thinking.

Really thinking.

Not like before, when he just said whatever sounded logical.

This time he wanted to be sure.

Because he could clearly see Est’s expression.

That careful attention.

That small hidden fear.

Est was prepared to hear “yes.”

Prepared to nod.

Smile a little.

Say it was okay.

And move on.

William knew.

He knew him too well.

And precisely because of that…

He couldn’t answer quickly.

He took a deep breath.

— I don’t know.

The words came out soft.

But firm.

Est blinked.

Surprised.

— Before, I thought it was. - William continued.

Pause.

— That you were important to me as a friend.

Est lowered his gaze slightly.

Not completely.

Just a little.

— But now I’m not sure it’s only that. - William added quickly.

Est slowly lifted his eyes again.

As if he didn’t want to do it too quickly.

As if he was afraid of misunderstanding.

William kept speaking, slower now.

— Last night I was thinking.

He ran a hand through his hair.

Nervous.

— A lot.

— You didn’t have to. - Est said quietly.

William shook his head.

— I did, because I realized something.

Est didn’t speak.

But he was completely attentive.

— When Nut told me you might like someone else… - William continued.

He stopped.

Because even saying it felt strange.

— I really didn’t like the idea. - He finished.

Est went still.

— And I tried to tell myself it was normal, that it was just because we’re close. But…

He shook his head slightly.

— It didn’t feel like something normal, it felt… worse. - William added quietly.

Honest.

Uncomfortable.

Real.

Est was looking at him as if he didn’t want to miss a single word.

William took another deep breath.

— And when I thought about you not being with me like before… that hurt too.

Est closed his eyes for a second.

Just one.

— So I can’t say it’s only friendship.

Est opened his eyes again.

— But I also don’t want to lie to you and say I already understand everything.

That seemed important.

Because Est nodded a little.

As if he respected that.

— I just know I don’t want to lose you. - William added.

Very simple.

Very direct.

But completely true.

Then Est asked even more softly.

— So what do you want to do?

William looked at him.

And for the first time…

The answer didn’t feel scary.

— I want to try.

Est blinked.

— Not promise something I don’t fully understand yet, but try.

William’s heart was beating fast.

But this time it wasn’t panic.

It was something else.

Something warmer.

Clearer.

— With you. - He added almost quietly.

Est didn’t answer immediately.

But his expression slowly changed.

As if something inside him was settling.

As if he didn’t want to believe it too quickly.

And yet…

There was hope there.

Very visible.

William felt the seconds pass far too slowly.

And for the first time since all of this started…

He became genuinely nervous.

Because talking was one thing.

Waiting for the answer was another.

Finally Est spoke.

— Are you sure?

It didn’t sound incredulous.

It sounded careful.

William understood the question.

It wasn’t “Do you mean it?”

It was “Are you going to regret this tomorrow?”

William answered slowly.

— I’m not sure about everything, but I’m sure about this.

Est tilted his head slightly.

Waiting.

— I’m sure you’re worth it. - William continued.

The sentence lingered between them.

William hadn’t planned to say that.

But he didn’t regret it either.

Because it was true.

Very true.

And Est felt it.

It showed.

Because his expression softened in a way William hadn’t seen for days.

Maybe weeks.

Est took a deep breath.

As if he had been holding it for a long time.

— Okey.

This time that okey sounded different.

Warmer.

More alive.

William felt something loosen inside him.

As if he had been tense for hours.

Maybe days.

Maybe longer.

— We can try. - Est added.

William nodded.

Small.

But certain.

And then a new problem appeared.

A completely different one.

Much stranger.

Because now that everything had been said…

Neither of them knew what to do.

They stood there facing each other.

Like two people who had reached a place without a map.

Now what? William thought.

Est seemed to be thinking the same thing.

— This is weird. - Est said.

William answered immediately.

— Yeah.

Too fast.

They looked at each other.

And suddenly Est smiled a little.

Small.

Almost shy.

— I never thought this conversation would happen like this.

— How did you think it would happen? - William asked.

— By not happening. - Est replied.

William felt guilty again.

But before he could say anything…

They heard a familiar voice.

— So are you dating or not?

Both of them turned immediately.

Nut was there.

Leaning against the wall.

As if he had been watching the whole time.

He probably had been watching the whole time.

— Since when have you been there? - William asked.

— Long enough. - Nut answered calmly.

— Unbelievable… - Est muttered.

Nut pointed between them.

— Well.

Pause.

— Yes or no?

William opened his mouth.

Est opened his mouth.

Neither spoke.

Nut sighed.

— Useless, I’m going to assume yes.

He turned around.

— I’ll tell Pond.

— No! - William reacted immediately.

Nut kept walking.

— Too late.

Est covered his face with one hand.

— This can’t be happening…

— He’s going to exaggerate it. - William muttered.

— A lot. - Est replied.

Then they looked at each other again.

And this time…

They laughed a little.

Because somehow…

That felt good too.

Normal.

Almost like always.

Except now…

It wasn’t exactly the same.

Nut didn’t get very far.

Because Pond appeared almost immediately, as if he had been waiting around the corner.

— And? - He asked.

William closed his eyes for a second.

Too predictable.

Nut pointed at them with his thumb.

— Confirmed.

Pond smiled slowly.

— I knew it.

— It’s not confirmed. - William protested.

— Not exactly. - Est said at the same time.

Pond raised an eyebrow.

— That sounds dangerously close to a yes.

Nut nodded.

— Practically a yes.

William sighed.

— We’re… trying.

Pond crossed his arms.

— That’s more romantic than I expected.

— It’s not romantic. - William muttered.

— It is. - Nut replied immediately.

— A little bit. - Est murmured.

William looked at him.

Est smiled slightly.

And that was enough for William to feel something strange again.

Something soft.

Something he still didn’t know how to name.

Pond noticed that.

And smiled wider.

— Wow.

William frowned.

— What?

— Nothing. - Pond replied.

Pause.

— I’ve just never seen you look at him like that.

William stiffened.

— Like what?

— Like he’s important. - Nut answered for him.

William opened his mouth to defend himself.

But couldn’t find an argument.

Because it was true.

Est lowered his gaze slightly.

Smiling.

Subtly.

Nut stretched.

— Well, my work here is done.

— Your work never started. - William said.

Nut ignored that.

— Now there’s only one thing left.

William immediately became suspicious.

— What thing?

— The date. - Nut replied.

William froze.

— What?

Pond nodded.

— Correct.

Est blinked.

— A date?

Nut explained as if it were obvious.

— You’re trying. Trying implies going out. Going out implies a date. Basic logic.

William looked at Est.

Est looked at William.

Both clearly in silent panic.

Pond smiled.

— This is going to be fun.

— We don’t need a date. - William said quickly.

— You need a date. - Nut replied.

— We can talk later… - Est said.

— No. - Nut shook his head. - It has to be official.

— Official for who? - William muttered.

— For us. - Pond answered.

William closed his eyes.

Total defeat.

Nut took out his phone.

— I’m free on Saturday.

William opened his eyes.

— You’re not coming!

— Not physically, but emotionally, yes. - Nut replied.

Est let out a small laugh.

William looked at him.

And once again felt that strange warmth in his chest.

Maybe…

The idea of a date wasn’t so terrible.

Maybe.

Even though it would probably be a disaster.

And for some reason…

That didn’t bother him that much.

The rest of the morning passed strangely.

Everything seemed normal.

Classes.

Notes.

Teachers talking too much.

But for William nothing felt normal.

Because Est was sitting next to him.

Like always.

Except it wasn’t like always.

Now every small detail felt more noticeable.

The sound of Est’s pencil against the notebook.

The way he rested his elbow on the table.

How he leaned slightly when listening to the professor.

Small things.

Insignificant things.

Before.

Not now.

William tried to focus on the class.

It didn’t work.

Because every few minutes he thought: We’re trying.

And that was strange.

Very strange.

Because he didn’t know exactly what it meant.

But it didn’t sound bad either.

At one point Est leaned slightly toward him.

— Did you understand this part? - He whispered.

William looked at the notebook.

He had no idea what the professor was talking about.

— Yeah.

He lied automatically.

Est looked at him.

Two seconds.

Then smiled.

— Liar.

— A little. - William murmured.

Est turned the notebook toward him.

— It’s this.

He pointed to a line.

Very close.

Too close.

William felt that strange feeling again.

That uncomfortable warmth.

Not unpleasant.

Just new.

Est explained something quietly.

William tried to listen.

But he was too aware of how close they were.

When Est finished, he asked.

— Now?

— Yes. - William replied.

Pause.

— Thanks. - He added.

Est nodded.

— Always.

The word lingered for a second longer than usual.

And they both noticed.

Because before always had been an easy word.

Now it wasn’t.

Now it meant more.

Both of them looked forward again.

Trying to act normal.

It didn’t work completely.

A few minutes later…

— Hey. - William whispered.

Est turned slightly.

— Yeah?

William hesitated.

Ridiculously nervous about something very small.

— About Saturday…

Est waited.

— We can keep it simple. - William finished.

— Simple how? - Est asked.

— Coffee.

Pause.

— Nothing weird.

Est smiled a little.

— I like simple.

William felt immediate relief.

— Good.

— Though Nut will say it’s not dramatic enough. - Est added.

— Nut doesn’t get a vote. - William muttered.

— Nut always gets a vote. - Est replied.

William almost smiled.

And then something small happened.

So small that no one else would have noticed.

Est turned back to his notebook.

But his arm stayed resting next to William’s.

Barely touching.

Before, William would have moved.

Instinctively.

Without thinking.

This time he didn’t.

He stayed still.

Very aware.

But calm.

And after a moment…

Est didn’t move either.

And that…

Felt good.

The class ended with the abrupt sound of chairs moving.

People standing up.

Backpacks zipping closed.

Voices returning.

The usual noise.

William started putting his things away more slowly than usual.

Not because he needed the time.

But because he was thinking too much.

Est was also putting his notebooks away.

In silence.

Comfortable.

Not awkward.

Just calm.

William noticed something curious.

Est seemed more relaxed than in the morning.

As if something had settled inside him.

And that made William feel… good.

Like he had done something right.

When they finished, they left together.

Like always.

But not exactly like always.

They walked down the hallway.

Unhurried.

— This doesn’t feel that different. - William said.

Est thought for a second.

— No.

Pause.

— But a little, yes.

William nodded.

— Yeah.

They walked a few more steps.

— Are you okay? - William asked.

Est looked at him.

Surprised.

— Yeah?

William shrugged slightly.

— Just asking.

Est watched him for a moment.

— I’m better than yesterday. - He said softly.

William felt immediate relief.

— Good.

Silence.

— Thanks for talking to me. - Est added.

— Thanks for listening. - William replied.

Est smiled a little.

— I always listen.

— Yeah. - William murmured.

That was also true.

It had always been true.

They reached the stairs.

People moving around them.

Constant motion.

Then Est said something unexpected.

— I was sure you were never going to notice.

William blinked.

— Was it that bad?

Est smiled faintly.

— Very.

William sighed.

— Sorry.

Est shook his head softly.

— No.

Pause.

— It was part of the plan.

William looked at him, confused.

— Plan?

Est nodded.

— Yeah. Not saying anything.

William frowned.

— That sounds like a bad plan.

Est laughed.

— It was.

Silence.

— But it worked for quite a while. - He added.

— Too long. - William said.

Est didn’t answer.

But his expression said he agreed.

They walked down the stairs.

And just before leaving…

William said something without thinking.

— I’m glad it failed.

Est stopped for a second.

Looked at him.

And smiled.

This time clearer.

More open.

— Me too.

And William thought something for the first time with total clarity.

Maybe this…

Was really worth it.

Saturday arrived too quickly.

William knew it the moment he opened his eyes and thought:

Today is the date.

He stared at the ceiling.

Again.

Lately he had been staring at the ceiling a lot.

But this time it wasn’t exactly panic.

It was… nerves.

He sat up in bed.

— It’s just coffee…

— Just coffee. - he muttered.

As if that made it simpler.

Nothing special.

Nothing complicated.

Nothing important.

A lie.

Because he changed clothes three times before leaving.

He arrived first.

Of course.

Ten minutes early.

Also of course.

He was sitting with his hands around an empty cup he had bought just so he wouldn’t look like someone nervously waiting.

Which he clearly was.

He looked at the door.

Once.

Twice.

Three times.

Then Est walked in.

William noticed him immediately.

And something in his chest made a strange little jump.

Est approached.

Smiling a little.

— You’re early.

— You’re late. - William replied.

Est looked at his watch.

— Three minutes.

— Late. - William said.

Est laughed.

And William thought again that he liked that sound.

They ordered coffee.

Nothing complicated.

Nothing dramatic.

And for a while…

It was easy.

They talked about classes.

About Nut exaggerating everything.

About Pond inventing theories.

Normal.

Comfortable.

— I’m going to grab some napkins. - William said after a while.

Est nodded.

William stood up.

Walked to the counter.

Nothing important.

Nothing long.

Just a few seconds.

But when he came back…

He saw something.

A guy was standing next to the table.

Talking to Est.

Too close.

William slowed down.

Without realizing it.

Watching.

The guy was smiling a lot.

Too much.

Est looked polite.

But uncomfortable.

William couldn’t hear what they were saying.

He could only see.

And something started boiling in his chest.

That same strange weight.

But stronger.

The guy said something.

Est smiled politely.

The guy leaned a little closer.

William walked faster.

Now he did notice.

Without thinking.

He arrived just as the guy was talking.

— Maybe we could go out sometime.

Est opened his mouth.

Probably to refuse.

But William spoke first.

— Hey.

Both of them looked at him.

William put a hand on the back of Est’s chair.

Without realizing it.

Firm posture.

Natural.

Protective.

— Back off. He’s my boyfriend. - He said directly.

Silence.

Total silence.

Est froze.

The guy blinked.

— Your… boyfriend?

— Yeah. - William replied immediately.

The guy looked at Est.

Est was still too surprised to speak.

— So no, he won’t go out with you - William added.

Very clear.

Very firm.

The guy raised his hands slightly.

— Ok, ok.

He stepped back.

— I didn’t know.

— Now you do. - William replied.

The guy nodded awkwardly.

— Sorry.

Then he left.

William stayed standing for a few seconds more.

As if making sure he was really gone.

Then he sat down.

Calm.

Natural.

As if nothing had happened.

He picked up his coffee.

Took a sip.

Then he noticed the silence.

He looked up.

Est was staring at him.

Very intently.

— What? - William said.

— Your boyfriend. - Est replied slowly.

William blinked.

Once.

Twice.

Then he understood.

He turned completely red.

— I didn’t-

He got stuck.

— I mean-

He tried again.

— It wasn’t-

Nothing came out right.

Est was still looking at him.

And slowly…

He started smiling.

— It was automatic. - William muttered.

— Was it? - Est asked softly.

William nodded quickly.

— Yeah.

Pause.

— But it wasn’t a lie either. - He added more quietly.

Est didn’t stop smiling.

Not big.

But very clear.

And in that moment William thought something very simple.

Maybe…

It really wasn’t just trying anymore.

Nothing changed officially.

And yet everything was different.

They were still the same tired students running between classes.

Still complaining about group projects.

Still sharing notes at the last minute.

But now there was something more.

Something visible in small details.

William always chose the seat next to Est.

Est always waited for William before leaving.

No one had pointed it out yet.

But it wasn’t exactly subtle either.

That day they had a free hour between classes.

A rare miracle.

They sat at one of the tables in the university courtyard.

Backpacks open.

Notebooks messy.

Trying to study.

Failing quite a bit.

William was explaining something.

Or trying to.

— No, look. - He said, pointing at the notebook. - If the focus is a younger audience, then you can’t use that tone.

Est was looking at him.

But not at the notebook.

At him.

— You’re exaggerating.

— I’m not exaggerating.

— A little.

William looked up.

— No.

They stared at each other for a second.

Then Est smiled.

Small.

William completely lost his train of thought.

Again.

— Why are you looking at me like that?

— Because you talk with your hands. - Est answered calmly.

William looked down.

He was gesturing again.

— That’s not relevant.

— It is.

Short silence.

— I like it. - Est said

William blinked.

— What?

— When you get excited explaining things.

William felt heat rise to his face.

— I’m trying to help you.

— I know.

But Est didn’t look away.

And that made it worse.

Around them there were students.

Conversations.

Laughter.

People walking by.

Total normality.

But the table felt isolated.

As if the noise was far away.

William spoke more quietly.

— You’re being weird.

Est shook his head.

— No.

Pause.

— I’m calm.

That was worse.

William rested his elbow on the table.

He leaned slightly toward him.

Without noticing.

— Are you sure?

Est leaned forward too.

Just a little.

But enough.

— I’m sure.

Now they were close.

Closer than usual.

William noticed.

But he didn’t move away.

Because Est didn’t either.

Silence.

Not uncomfortable.

Dense.

William lowered his gaze for a second.

Then looked up again.

Est’s eyes were very close.

Too close.

He thought something very clearly:

I could kiss him.

The idea appeared fully formed.

Without hesitation.

Without warning.

And it didn’t feel impossible.

Just natural.

Est didn’t move.

As if he were waiting.

William leaned in slightly.

Without realizing.

A minimal movement.

Almost nothing.

But enough.

Est breathed a little slower.

William noticed.

And that pushed him a little closer.

— Am I interrupting something? - Someone said.

They both pulled apart instantly.

Like they had been yanked back.

Nut was standing in front of the table.

Looking at them.

Dangerous smile.

— Wow.

William grabbed his notebook.

— No.

Est adjusted his backpack.

— No.

Nut raised his eyebrows.

— Sure.

Silence.

Nut looked at one.

Then the other.

— Very sure.

— We were studying. - William said quickly.

Nut nodded slowly.

— Of course.

He looked at the distance between them.

— Educationally very close.

Est covered his face for a second.

— Shut up.

Nut smiled wider.

— I didn’t know the program included romantic practice.

— It’s not romantic. - William muttered.

— Yet. - Nut replied.

William felt heat rise to his face again.

Est was looking at the table.

But smiling.

And that made it worse.

Nut sat down.

— Well.

He rested his arms on the table.

— Go on.

— No. - They said in unison.

Nut sighed.

— Ruining beautiful moments is my talent.

Short silence.

— But seriously. - He added.

He looked at William.

— You were five centimeters away.

— No. - William replied.

Nut stared at him.

— Two.

Est let out a small laugh.

William looked at him.

And thought something new.

It wasn’t just that he wanted to kiss him.

It was that now he knew…

It was going to happen.

Sooner or later.

And that didn’t scare him anymore.

Just made him impatient.

Several days passed after that.

Nut didn’t stop teasing them.

Not even for a single day.

— Careful, William, don’t get too close. It could be dangerous.

— Est, breathe, or William might get excited.

— Do you need me to leave or do you want to pretend I’m studying?

He never said anything directly.

But always enough.

William pretended to ignore him.

Est laughed too much.

Which made it worse.

The kiss didn’t happen in a perfect moment.

Or a romantic one.

Or a planned one.

It happened in a ridiculous moment.

Like almost everything with them.

It was late.

Very late.

They were finishing a project for a film production class.

Due the next day.

Classic.

They were in one of the empty classrooms.

White lights.

Messy tables.

Water bottles.

Papers.

An open laptop.

Pond had left a while ago.

Nut too.

William was sitting in front of the computer.

Est was standing behind him.

Looking at the screen.

— That cut is wrong. - Est said.

— It’s not wrong.

— It’s weird.

— It’s not weird.

— It’s weird.

William sighed.

— Then do it yourself.

Est leaned forward to use the mouse.

Very close.

Too close.

William could feel his breathing.

Again.

They stayed like that for a moment.

Est moving the cursor.

William looking without really seeing anything.

Thinking about only one thing.

Again.

I could kiss him.

But this time he didn’t think about it too long.

— You’re picking the wrong clip. - Est murmured

— No. - William said.

— Yes. - Est replied.

Then something absurd happened.

Est tried to move the mouse.

William did too.

Their hands collided.

They stayed there.

On top of the mouse.

— Let go. - William said.

— You let go. - Est replied.

Neither moved.

Then Est laughed.

Softly.

Close.

Too close.

William turned his head.

Just a little.

Est was already looking at him.

Very close.

This time no one interrupted.

No one spoke.

No one thought too much.

William leaned in.

A short movement.

Quick.

And kissed him.

It was clumsy.

Very clumsy.

Barely a second.

Maybe less.

But it was real.

When they pulled apart…

Neither moved.

Absolute silence.

Est blinked.

William too.

As if both of them were processing it at the same time.

William spoke first.

— Ah.

The most useless response possible.

Est let out a nervous laugh.

— That happened. - William said.

Est nodded.

— Yeah.

Silence again.

— Was it bad? - William asked.

Est immediately shook his head.

— No.

Too fast.

William felt instant relief.

Est added more quietly.

— Not at all.

As if that solved everything.

It didn’t.

— Are you going to do it again? - Est asked.

William looked at him.

Surprised.

— Do you want me to?

— Yes... - Est replied.

And this time the kiss was less clumsy.

Not perfect.

But more certain.

Slower.

When they pulled apart…

Est was smiling.

A lot.

William was too.

Without realizing it.

— Well. - Est said.

Pause.

— Now it would actually be a lie to say you’re not my boyfriend.

William laughed.

Softly.

— Yeah.

Pause.

— Definitely. - He answered.

Comfortable silence.

Est leaned his hip against the table.

— Nut is going to be unbearable.

William sighed.

— Very.

Est smiled.

— Worth it.

William looked at him.

Thought for a second.

— Yeah.

Without a doubt.

The change wasn’t dramatic.

No one made an announcement.

No one said “now we’re dating” out loud in front of everyone.

It simply stopped being a secret.

First it was something small.

William waiting for Est outside the classroom like always.

But this time, when Est came out, William took his backpack without asking.

As if it were normal.

As if it had always been that way.

And Est didn’t say anything.

He just walked beside him.

Then the inevitable happened.

Nut was the first one to say it.

They were sitting together, reviewing a project.

Pond reading.

Nut bored.

William and Est too close again.

Nut watched them for a while.

— Can I say it now, or are you still pretending? - He said.

William looked up.

— Say what?

Nut sighed.

— That you’re dating.

Est let out a small laugh.

— Yeah. - William said.

Simple.

Direct.

No hesitation.

Nut froze.

— …Yeah?

William nodded.

— Yeah.

Nut looked at Est.

— Yeah?

Est smiled.

— Yeah.

Nut leaned back in his chair.

— Finally.

Pond didn’t even look up from the paper.

— Took you long enough.

William frowned.

— You knew?

— Obviously. - Pond replied calmly.

Nut pointed at Pond.

— He said it would take three months.

Then pointed at himself.

— I said one.

He looked at William.

— He won.

Est laughed.

— You two are unbearable. - William said.

— But we were right. - Nut replied.

— Always. - Pond added.

After that…

No one asked again.

Because there was no need.

They sat together.

Arrived together.

Left together.

And now William didn’t hesitate anymore.

If Est talked to someone for too long, William would appear beside him.

Naturally.

Without thinking.

If William was stressed, Est would rest his head on his shoulder.

Naturally.

Without asking permission.

It wasn’t new anymore.

Just normal.

One ordinary day, after class, they were walking toward the exit.

Nothing special.

Nothing different.

William was carrying his backpack and Est’s.

— You could let me carry my own stuff. - Est said.

— I could.

Est smiled.

— You’re ridiculous.

— Yeah.

Comfortable silence.

People passing by.

University noise.

Normal life.

Then Est took his hand.

Without warning.

Without ceremony.

Just because he wanted to.

William looked at their hands for a second.

Then kept walking.

Like nothing.

Like it had always been that way.

And maybe…

In some way…

It always had been meant to be.

After a moment William talked.

— Hey.

Est looked at him.

— What?

William smiled a little.

— I like this.

— Me too. - Est replied.

And that was all.

There were no big declarations.

They weren’t necessary.

Because in the end…

It wasn’t about exactly when it started.

It was that now they were there.

Together.

Openly.

No doubts.

No secret plans.

No excuses.

Just them.

And for the first time since the beginning…

Nothing felt complicated.

Just right.