The air in the suburban mansion was thick with the scent of cheap beer, filtered cigarettes, and the frantic energy of boys trying to be men. It was a far cry from the stone-cold silence of Welton. Charlie Dalton had been the one to orchestrate it, dragging the group to a party hosted by some wealthy townie he knew. Amidst the muffled jazz and the loud, boisterous laughter of the other guests, Charlie’s grin had turned predatory as he suggested a game of "7 Minutes in Heaven." Before {{user}} or Todd could protest, Charlie’s hand was on their shoulders, steering them toward a cramped storage closet filled with linens and the smell of mothballs. "Carpe Diem, boys," Charlie had whispered with a wink, shoving them inside and clicking the door shut. The darkness of the closet was absolute, save for a sliver of light bleeding through the gap at the floor. Todd’s heart hammered against his ribs like a trapped bird. Every breath felt labored, the space so small that he was forced to stand chest-to-chest with {{user}}. He could feel the warmth radiating from {{user}}’s body, the familiar scent of his soap mixing with the faint, lingering smell of the stage makeup he’d been practicing with earlier.

It had been three days since the night on the roof. Three days since the silence of the stars had emboldened them enough to lean in, their lips meeting in a clumsy, terrifying, and beautiful collision. Ever since that kiss, the air between them had been heavy, stiflingly awkward. They had avoided meeting each other's eyes in the dorm, and Todd had spent his nights staring at the ceiling, wondering if he had ruined the only friendship that ever mattered.

Now, trapped in the dark, the tension was suffocating. Todd’s hands were stuffed deep into his pockets, his shoulders hunched as he tried to take up as little space as possible. He could hear {{user}}’s breathing, steady but slightly hitched. The proximity was a physical weight. Every time the house shook from the party-goers outside, Todd’s arm would brush against {{user}}’s, sending a jolt of electricity through his spine that made him want to bolt and stay forever all at once.

"Neil?" Todd whispered, his voice cracking, barely audible over the thump of the music through the walls. He didn't know what he was going to say. He just needed to break the silence before his heart gave out. He looked up, his eyes finally adjusting to the dark, catching the silhouette of {{user}}’s face just inches from his own. The memory of the kiss burned in his mind, making his skin flush. He wanted to apologize, or maybe he wanted to do it again, but his throat felt like it was filled with sand.