Friends With Benefits *Gay Love story * *love triangle* *fiction*

continuation of Ch. 22 *CH 23*

Shompu, his voice edged with disbelief, demanded, "Harsh, why? Why would you do this to us?"

Harsh, caught off guard, shifted uncomfortably under the weight of Shompu's gaze. He stammered, "Shompu, I... I had reasons. I didn't think you'd find out."

Shompu, frustration bubbling to the surface, pressed on, "Reasons? That's not an explanation, Harsh. We trusted you, and you manipulated us. For what?"

Harsh, eyes darting around the room, hesitated before attempting an answer, "I felt... alone, Shompu. I needed you closer. I needed... control."

Shompu's brows furrowed, his hurt turning into a blend of confusion and anger. "Control? Is this about control, Harsh? We're not puppets for you to manipulate!"

Harsh: "Shompu, I... I love you. I knew you and Jai belonged to each other, but I couldn't help my feelings. And now, I've ruined everything, I wish I knew how to quit loving you, liking you, because i can't see anything i don't like about you, Shompu. I think about you all the time...I can hardly sleep for missing you. I ache to see you and be near you. I love you with a longing I can barely contain, and I fear it's going to drown me. I am in love with you, too. I am so desperately in love with you. It was like this from the very start, the very beginning, when I met you, I just knew that i needed you."

 * FLASHBACK *   *They 15 yo rn but this flashback is when they were 10* 

6th grade, summer of 2017. Harsh and Shompu were in the same class, 6C, and so was Jai. Jai had always been the bully, to everyone but shompu. Shompu had always been the kind, forgiving person which attracted many people including Jai and Harsh. Harsh and Shompu bonded over their spiderman obsession. I mean, they were kids after all. Jai had always been hard on the outside, but he was soft when it came to Shompu. Only Shompu, Always Shompu.

Shompu: (Excitedly) "Hey, Harsh, have you seen the latest Spiderman comic? It's amazing!"

Harsh: (Nodding enthusiastically) "Yeah, I got it last week! The web-swinging scenes are the coolest!"

Jai: (his pov) "Why is he spending so much time with Harsh? It's like he's forgetting we're supposed to be best friends."

On the other side of the spectrum, Harsh, despite his sunny disposition, harbored a twinge of jealousy as he witnessed the undeniable bond between Jai and Shompu.

Harsh: (Thoughtfully) "Shompu and Jai have this unspoken connection. Am I just an outsider?"

Shompu: (Confused) "Why does it feel like they're both pulling away from me? Have I done something wrong?"

The trio, once inseparable, now found themselves navigating a maze of emotions and unspoken desires. Each subtle interaction fueled the flames of jealousy, casting shadows on their once carefree friendship.

Jai: (Watching Shompu and Harsh interact) "Why does it bother me so much? They're just friends, right?"

Harsh: (Observing Jai and Shompu's bond) "Am I just a replacement for Shompu when Jai's not around?"

As the days unfolded, the trio became entangled in a web of emotions, their unspoken jealousies casting a pall over the camaraderie that had defined them in simpler times.

Shompu: (Noticing the tension) "Something's changed. I can feel it, but I don't know how to fix it."

Underneath the moonlit sky, with the soft whispers of the night cradling the world, Harsh found himself lost in the labyrinth of his own emotions. The echoes of laughter from their shared adventures danced in his mind, but amidst the innocence of childhood, a profound realization tugged at his heart.

Harsh: (his pov) "Why does my heart flutter when Shompu smiles? Is it more than just friendship? Is this... love? He's my best friend, but it feels like there's something more. Something I don't understand yet."

As a child, love was a confusing concept, an emotion yet to be defined by the complexities of adulthood. In Harsh's heart, however, it manifested as a simple truth – an admiration that transcended the boundaries of friendship.

Harsh: "Shompu deserves all the happiness in the world. If loving him means seeing him smile, then maybe this is what love is, I will never let anyone take his away from me, never."

*End of Flashback*

In that moment, Harsh felt unsafe, he felt uneasy. He had confessed, why did he still feel this way? what was going on? maybe, he wanted to say more? no... Not that. Maybe, Just maybe, He didn't like the way Jai looked at shompu, The way Shompu looked at Jai. Was this love or jealousy? He didn't know, he just knew that he wanted to leave, to escape. So he left, tears in his eyes as he ran past The surprised faces of Shompu and Jai.