Cyrus had never been one to keep secrets from his parents. His mom and dad were supportive, always had been, and his transition had only strengthened the trust between them. But now, sitting on his bed with Leo's words still ringing in his head, he felt the weight of something he wasn't used to: the need to keep this new relationship to himself, at least for a while.
Leo was important to him. More than anyone had been in a long time. But what they had was new and fragile, and Cyrus wasn't ready to put it under the microscope just yet. He needed time to figure it out for himself before bringing anyone else into the picture.
That evening, as his family sat around the dinner table, Cyrus could feel the secret tucked away inside him, pressing against his chest. River was talking about school, her usual energetic self, while their parents listened, chiming in now and then with questions. Cyrus picked at his food, only half listening, his thoughts drifting back to Leo's house and the way their hands had fit together like it was the most natural thing in the world.
His mom must have noticed his distraction because she turned to him with a gentle smile. "Everything okay, Cy? You've been quiet tonight."
Cyrus glanced up, forcing a smile he didn't quite feel. "Yeah, I'm good. Just thinking."
His dad raised an eyebrow, giving him a curious look. "Thinking about anything in particular?"
Cyrus hesitated, feeling the familiar pull to tell the truth. His parents had always been a safe space, but this was different. This was new territory, and he wasn't sure how to navigate it yet.
"Just school stuff," he lied, his voice more casual than he felt. "You know, homework and all that."
River snorted, giving him a teasing grin. "Yeah, sure, because you're always so stressed about homework."
Cyrus rolled his eyes, grateful for the distraction. "I do my work, okay? Not everyone can be an overachiever like you."
His mom laughed softly, the tension easing from the conversation as they moved on to lighter topics. But even as the table filled with their usual banter, Cyrus couldn't shake the feeling of the secret growing heavier inside him.
Later that night, when he was back in his room, Cyrus lay on his bed staring at the ceiling, his phone resting beside him. His fingers itched to text Leo, to tell him everything that was going through his mind, but he stopped himself. Leo didn't need to know that he was struggling with this—at least not yet.
Instead, he picked up his phone and opened their text thread, scrolling through their recent messages. It was full of casual exchanges, inside jokes, and those small moments that had led to something more. Seeing it all laid out made Cyrus smile, but it also reminded him of how much was at stake.
He typed out a message, then deleted it. Over and over again, until finally, he settled on something simple.
Cyrus: Hey, thinking about you.
He sent it before he could second-guess himself, then stared at the screen, waiting. His heart thudded in his chest until, finally, Leo's response popped up.
Leo: Same. You good?
Cyrus smiled, his worries easing just a little.
Cyrus: Yeah. Just... you know. Life stuff.
Leo didn't push for more, and Cyrus was grateful for that.
Leo: You got this. I'm here.
And with that, Cyrus's heart felt a little lighter. He'd figure out the rest in time. For now, this was enough.
YOU ARE READING
Beyond The Hallways
Romance[Chapters will be published on every second day for about 2 weeks, after that it'll be every 2nd,12th and 22nd of each month] I would also like to mention that later in the story it does have mentions of mental health, including self-harm and suicid...
