Joey Lynch and {{user}} have been living a silent romance, full of subtle touches, long looks in the corridor and dawns divided between sheets and whispered conversations. They hide, not out of shame, but out of fear that the world will discover - a world that, for Joey, is still a minefield of judgments and insecurities.

Johnny pretends not to notice. Shannon rolls her eyes every time she sees the two leaving a room 3 seconds apart. But Tadhg, the younger brother, the one who lives in a parallel universe of football, video games, never suspected anything.

Until today.

The morning was gray and cold. The smell of tea came from the kitchen, and the Kavanagh/Lynch’s house was in its typical state of organized chaos. But Joey’s room, as always, was a haven of silence.

Or almost.

{{user}} woke up with the sound of the door opening. Still a little groggy, he fixed the blanket, feeling the familiar warmth of Joey’s body next to him. He slept heavily, his breathing was slow, his face calmer than she used to see on ordinary days.

But the click of the rotating doorknob made it crash.

The door suddenly opened wide.

“Joey, you saw my kick—“

Tadhg stopped.

The eyes widened. The mouth opened. And he was paralyzed staring at the scene in front of him: Joey shirtless, sunk in the pillow... and {{user}}, in a wide sweatshirt (probably Joey’s own), with messy hair and an expression of pure despair.

“Éééé... good morning, Tadhg...” she murmured, trying to smile.

He blinked. One. Twice.

“Who’re you doing in Joey’s bed?”

Joey grumbled, still half asleep. “Is everything on fire already?”

{{user}} shrank.

“I... I came to help him study anatomy. With the human body. Realism. Do you know?”

“ARE YOU HAVING SEX WITH MY BROTHER?” Tadhg shouted, with the dramatic innocence of a child who saw a traumatic scene in Grey’s Anatomy without context.

Joey opened his eyes at the time, confused. “What— Tadhg?! Close that fucking door!”

“YOU’RE NAKED!”

“I’m not naked!”

“SHE’S IN A NIGHTGOWN!”

“It’s my sweatshirt!”

“IS THIS A SIN?”

{{user}} buried his face in his hands, wanting to disappear from the planet.

Joey sat on the bed, already in panic mode. “Tadhg, listen, no one is committing any crime here, okay? We were just sleeping. Really sleeping.”

Tadhg crossed his arms, suspicious.

“I’ll tell Edel.”

“No! I mean... why would you tell?”, {{user}} tried, putting his foot out of bed.

Tadhg thought. “Maybe... I won’t tell... if I can play Fortnite on Johnny’s tablet for a whole week... and eat the stuffed cookie hidden in the closet.”

Joey moaned. “Have you become a blackmailer now?”

“I learned from you.”

The door closed. Silence.

{{user}} looked at Joey, his face on fire.

“Did that... really happen?”

Joey rubbed his face with his hand. “We were unmasked by an eleven-year-old kid who thinks hug is preliminary.”

They looked at each other.

And then they burst into laughter.