Entering his bedroom, the door closed softly behind Robin, cocooning him in a private haven. Leaning against the door, a mix of giddy excitement and uncertainty fluttered through his stomach. He had an unmovable smile plastered across his face as he gazed up at the ceiling, replaying the moments in the politics classroom. Yohan's initial denial of the Halloween kiss, followed by the admission of liking it, and then the electrifying kiss that ensued.

     A girlish squeal escaped him, and he bit down on his lip. The surge of emotions made him want to dance and scream with unrestrained joy. He found himself jumping up and down slightly, releasing the pent-up excitement.

     This time felt different—not some drunken mistake, but real and happening. Robin couldn't believe his luck. Every moment shared with Yohan led to this realisation, which left him in awe.

     He ambled over to his desk and plopped his rucksack onto the floor. Settling into his chair, still smiling, he retrieved the slightly crinkled note from his front pocket. Unfolding it, he smoothed out the paper, his eyes scanning the numbers that were scraggly written.

     Looking at the page again, in the privacy of his room, a thought hit him. It was only a phone number. There was no other note, no indication of what Robin should actually do with it.

     Does he want me to... text him? Surely? Otherwise, why would he have ever given me his number? Is it even his number?

     "Fuckkkk," Robin muttered to himself, looking at the paper, hoping it would give him more meaning than the random digits on the page. "Never fucking simple with this guy."

     Pulling out his phone, Robin opened his contacts to create a new one and began typing in the number. With his meticulousness bordering on paranoia, he triple-checked that the numbers written on the page matched what he typed into his phone. After one final check, he simply named the contact, 'Yohan'.

     Opening the messaging chat, his thumbs hovered over the keyboard. The emptiness of the chat and the idea of initiating something felt incredibly daunting. Staring at the blank space before him.

     What the fuck am I supposed to say?

     Robin started typing out a message, his thumbs trembling slightly as he typed, pressing down on the glass screen. He attempted different ways to initiate conversation, constantly deleting and rewriting the words as he typed. It was either too formal, too simple, or just felt weird.

      'Hi Yohan, It's Robin, I think you gave me your number? I hope you don't mind me texting.'

     Delete.

     'Hey, thanks for your number, it's Robin btw.'

      Delete.

     'Hi Yohan, it's Robin, so about the kiss... does that mean you like me?'

     Delete.

     "Fuckkk my lifffee." Robin groaned, slumping back in the office chair and casting his gaze upward at the ceiling.

     Surely, he wants me to text him. I mean, we kissed. That must mean something, surely... Maybe he's also in the closet? I mean, Jemma did say he wasn't able to get hard with her... that was definitely not the case when we kissed.

     The vivid memory of Yohan's body pressed against his own flooded Robin's thoughts, and he felt the heat rise in his cheeks. The unmistakable firmness against him in the confines of the classroom replayed in his mind, a tantalising scene only witnessed by the classroom walls.

     He let his body lean forward again, hunching over his phone. And before he could think about it anymore, he typed a quick text message and pressed send.

     Robin 17:20

     Hi, it's Robin :)

     He swivelled around in his chair and threw his phone across the room onto his bed, landing with a soft thump as far out of reach as possible. Turning back to his desk with a heavy sigh, the rapid thud of his heart reverberated in his chest, trying to slow his breathing from the action he had just taken.

     It's fine, it's literally just a text message, chill the fuck out Robin.

     Trying to distract himself from the impending text message, he pulled out his sociology textbook from his bag and opened up his laptop. He tried to focus on the words on the page, but every now and again he would glance over to his phone, positioned face-up on the bed.

     It seemed to beckon with the possibility of a buzz or an illuminating screen signalling an incoming message.

     Time seemed to stretch as he desperately tried to engross himself in his school work, hoping for a sign of life from his phone. However, after approximately thirty agonising minutes, a sinking feeling settled in—perhaps Yohan wasn't planning to respond. Doubts crept in, mingling with the anxiety.

     Was it a fake number? A prank?

     As Robin teetered on the brink of surrender, a sudden buzzing sound sliced through the air, jolting him from his thoughts. Reacting with a burst of energy, he catapulted himself from his seat, practically lunging towards his bed. In the hurried scramble, his hands fumbled momentarily with the phone until he secured a firm grip.

     Bathed in the dimming light of the room as the sun began its descent, Robin's attention fixated on the glowing screen, revealing a solitary new message from Yohan. Swiftly unlocking his phone, his eyes widened in anticipation of Yohan's response.

     Yohan 17:53

     Hey

     Hey!? Just 'Hey'.... How the fuck am I supposed to respond to that? Does he even want me to respond?

     Robin pondered, sinking down onto the edge of his bed. His foot tapped lightly on the floor as he wrestled with the decision of whether to reply. After a series of contemplative efforts, he settled on an attempt to play it cool, his response poised on the delicate balance between eagerness and nonchalance.

     Robin 17:56

     How r u? :)

     Intently fixated on the screen, Robin's eyes bore into the space where his message had been sent, silently urging for a response. The anticipation didn't leave him waiting for long, as the three familiar dots materialised in the corner, indicating Yohan was typing.

     However, the dots appeared to linger for a moment, teasing Robin with their intermittent disappearance and reappearance, each iteration causing his heart to somersault within his chest. The rhythmic dance of the ellipsis played out about four or five times, amplifying the suspense until, at last, relief swept over him as a message materialised on the screen.

     Yohan 17:59

     Fine thanks, you? x

     The small 'x' at the end of Yohan's message made Robin's heart skip a beat.

     He sent me a kiss?! Omg omg omg omg omg!

     A burst of excitement prompted an involuntary squeal from Robin as he stared at the screen, caught in a whirlwind of elation and disbelief. The tiny 'x' felt like a promising sign.

     Feeling a little braver, he decided to send a slightly longer message, with an 'x' in return.

     Robin 18:03

     I'm good, I liked hanging out with you today :) x

     He took a deep breath as he pressed send, a shockwave of nerves shooting up his spine with his bold message. Almost immediately, the three little dots appeared again, and his phone displayed a new message.

     Yohan 18:04

     So did I xx

     Two kisses?!

     Robin felt as though he was about to keel over, luckily still firmly anchored to his mattress. His heart did a tiny little flutter in his chest. He and Ashley sent kisses to each other all of the time! But coming from Yohan, the boy that he'd just steamily made out with only hours earlier... Surely that meant something. Before Robin could respond, his phone buzzed again with another message.

    Yohan 18:05

    Wanna do it again? Xx

     Robin could feel his heart in his mouth as he read the message.

     Do it... again? What does he mean by that? Hang out, or make out?

     Robin took a deep breath as he stared back down at the screen. Typing out a response.

     Robin 18:07

     I'd love to xxx

♡.﹀﹀﹀﹀.♡

     Robin awoke, basking in the afterglow of a night's sleep that felt like a rejuvenating embrace, a stark departure from the restless nights that had plagued him for months. The anticipation of spending time with Yohan alone infused a newfound vitality into his morning routine as he swiftly prepared himself to face the day.

     The bus journey unfolded with surprising swiftness, each passing house becoming a fleeting picture on the way to school. Despite the overcast sky, the world outside seemed to burst with vibrancy. Trees, adorned with leaves transitioning into a golden hue, stood as vibrant guardians, casting a warm glow that defied the muted tones of the cloudy day. The sky, though veiled in grey, exuded a subtle grace that captivated Robin's senses.

     Entering the form room, Robin's eyes instinctively scanned the familiar territory for the tall, curly-haired boy who habitually slouched at the back. However, before he could locate Yohan, his gaze was abruptly intercepted by a bouncy figure. Jemma, with her pink braids entwined into an exuberant knot atop her head, jumped in front of him, peering up with an eager smile.

     "Robin!" Jemma beamed, her enthusiasm palpable. "Yanno, our psychology homework, I was just thinking about–"

     Lost in the whirlwind of his own thoughts, Robin found himself tuning out Jemma's words. The giddy feeling that had accompanied him all morning swiftly dissipated as he gazed into the eyes of the smiling girl, grounded back in reality. Jemma, the friend who had been kind and friendly– the friend he was now betraying.

     The weight of guilt, diligently suppressed until now, resurfaced as Robin considered Jemma's unwavering affection for Yohan. The knowledge that he was unintentionally causing her pain, a fact she remained blissfully unaware of, stirred a disconcerting sensation in his stomach. Jemma's constant chatter about Yohan, her elation at the inception of what she termed a "situationship," painted a poignant picture of her feelings—one that Robin couldn't ignore.

     "Um... yeah I can help with that in class Jemma," Robin said as a vague reply, as he turned to face away from her, fearful his expression might give something away.

     "Oh, and also Robin," she added, "Fancy coming to our band practice on Saturday? We're doing a couple of new songs and it'd be good to get some feedback! Plus, the band loves you and would be fun to hang out!"

     "Oh, yeah sure, sounds good," Robin said before he could properly think.

     Shit, should I have really agreed to that? Yohan is going to be there... with Jemma.

     "Amazing! I'll text you the address and time, yeah?" She said, but her eyes flicked over Robin's shoulder, creasing slightly as she smiled. "Yohan, hey!"

     Robin turned around, and there he was. He stood in the doorway as if he had just entered the classroom. He was wearing his usual black skinny jeans and boots. A hoodie hugged his body under a baggy denim jacket, in which his hands were dug deep into the pockets.

     "Hey," Yohan said, his eyes darting to Robin and then Jemma as he saw the two of them standing together.

     "Robin's gonna join us at band practice on Saturday! That cool?" Jemma said as she made her way closer to Yohan, as she cautiously wrapped her arms around one of his.

     "Yeah, sure, whatever," Yohan said as he looked down at her and then back at Robin.

     "The doorway isn't a socialising space, you know?" A familiar, stern voice came from behind Yohan as he stepped out, revealing Mrs. Wheatly. "Now, get yourself seated, everyone!" She addressed the three in front of her as well as the rest of the chaotic class.

     Robin and Yohan both walked over to their usual seats at the back of the class, while Jemma separated herself from Yohan and made her way to the front.

     As Mrs. Wheatly started her usual speeches of the day, Robin noticed, from the corner of his eye, Yohan with his phone under the table as he tapped away at the glowing screen. As soon as the glow stopped radiating on his face as he locked his phone, Robin felt a buzz in his front pocket.

     He looked up at Yohan, expecting some sort of response, but Yohan, stoic as ever, just stared forward. Seemingly fixated on the words of Mrs. Wheatly.

     Robin cautiously took his phone out of his pocket and hid it under the table as he unlocked it, seeing one new message from Yohan.

     Yohan 8:35

      Come with me after form xxx