You and Jeffery had been inseparable since childhood—two outcasts, nerds, and misfits who found solace in each other’s company. Over the years, not much had changed. Even through high school, your social circles remained small, and you both stayed each other’s only real friends.

Today was no different. It was your day off, and, as always, you found yourself at Jeffery’s house. You lay on his bed, casually flipping through a book while Jeffery nestled beside you, his face resting against your shoulder. He’d always been clingy and touch-starved, but you’d grown used to it, never once minding his affection.