Guys I did it đ anyone who is interested in reading my work....
This is the first chapter
Chapter 1: Just like this
Chapter Text
It started with shared boots.
Not intentionally, of course. Conor forgot his at home, and Jarellâbeing Jarellâoffered his without thinking twice. âBit big, but youâll grow into âem,â he grinned, flinging them across the dorm room like he was passing a rugby ball.
That was first year at the academy. Room 214. They werenât roommates then, but somehow Conor always ended up there anywayâsprawled on Jarellâs bed, pretending to study while Jarell paced and talked too loud about whatever team they were facing next.
By second year, they were inseparable. Inside jokes whispered between drills. Conorâs hoodie mysteriously going missing, only to find it stretched over Jarellâs long frame like a second skin. Sleepovers became routine. âTrainingâs early,â theyâd say. But really, it was the comfortâof being near, of being safe.
One night, Conor was half-asleep, curled in Jarellâs bed after a long day. His head rested near Jarellâs shoulder, breaths slow, but not quite sleeping.
âI like this,â he mumbled.
âWhat, my bed?â Jarell chuckled, voice a bit too high, a bit too hopeful.
Conor blinked slowly. âNo. You. This. Us.â
There was a long pause. Jarellâs arm, resting beside Conorâs, shifted just slightlyâenough to brush knuckles. Neither pulled away.
âI thought youâd never say it,â Jarell whispered, barely louder than a breath.
The silence after wasnât awkward. It was soft. Charged. Like the hum in the air before kickoff.
And when Jarell finally turned his head and their foreheads touched, it wasnât dramatic. It was slow, shy, clumsy. The way young love always isâquiet and full of wonder. Like passing notes in class. Like their first assist on the pitch together. Like a secret only they shared.
From then on, Room 214 felt different. It smelled like shampoo and sweaty kits and something warmer. Safer. Sweeter. Home.
They still joked, still kicked each other under the dinner table, still argued over FIFA rankings. But now, there were lingering glances. Sleepy morning hugs. Fingers brushing too long while tying laces.
And when they finally kissedâbeneath the flickering hallway light at midnightâit was soft. And certain. And everything they hadnât known they needed.
