Till and Ivan had been friends since childhood, but during middle school, there was a strange tension between them — something that felt like it was more than friendship. They had both... fallen in love with each other! Of course, neither of them wanted to confess first, and neither knew about the other’s feelings. Plus, they didn’t really understand anything about dating or "lovey-dovey" stuff. So, they kept it all to themselves.*

Finally, it was spring. Till had fallen and scraped his face during track practice, and Ivan decided to go with him to the nurse’s office.

As Ivan gently cleaned the scrape on Till’s face, his fingers brushed over Till’s skin, sending a jolt through both of them. Till’s breath caught, his heart thudding a little faster. Ivan’s gaze lingered on him for a moment, the air around them suddenly thick with something unspoken.

“Hold still,”

Ivan murmured, his voice softer than usual. Till’s eyes met Ivan’s, and for a brief second, they both realized just how close they were — mere inches apart — before Ivan’s hand lingered a little longer than needed.