Yearning, Wanting, Longing.

Chapter 10

• Absolution

                                    ༄ؘ ۪۪۫۫ ▹▫◃ ۪۪۫۫ ༄ؘ

A few days after Ace and Sirius celebrated their friendship anniversary, life continued as it always did—late-night texts, impromptu meetups under the stars, and sneaking out to talk until the early hours of the morning. They had done this for as long as they could remember, but lately, things had started to feel… different.

That night, after one of their usual rendezvous, they sat on a secluded bench in the neighborhood park, the moon casting soft shadows around them.

“You ever think people would freak out if they knew how much time we spent together?” Sirius asked, half-laughing, his breath visible in the chilly night air.

      Ace grinned, shaking his head. “Probably. But  
                 who cares? They don’t get it.”

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“You’re the only one that matters,
anyways.”

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“I guess not,” Sirius said softly, looking down at his shoes. “I like it though. Us.”

Ace’s heart fluttered, and he wasn’t sure why. He looked over at Sirius, at the way his hair caught the moonlight and the way his lips curved just slightly, almost like he was holding something back. There was always a weight to their silences now, something unspoken that lingered just below the surface.

They stayed there, quietly watching the stars, neither wanting the night to end. Eventually, though, they had to say goodbye, Sirius giving Ace a playful nudge as they parted ways.

“See you tomorrow, yeah?” Sirius said.

“Of course,” Ace replied, smiling.

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Later that night, Ace lay in bed, staring at his phone. He opened his Notes app and typed a few words before deleting them. Then he typed again:

I don’t know what to do anymore. He’s my best friend, but lately... I don’t know if that’s all he is. I think about the way we talk, the way he looks at me, and I feel something I can’t explain. But it’s wrong, isn’t it? People would think it’s wrong.

He sighed, locking his phone and placing it on his nightstand before turning over and drifting into a restless sleep.

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Ace’s mother, Clara, had been growing more suspicious lately. She noticed how often Ace disappeared at night, always with that boy, Sirius. She didn’t understand why her son seemed so distant, why he always seemed to be hiding something. And as a woman of deep faith, she worried that whatever Ace was involved in wasn’t… right.

That night, after hearing Ace fall into a deep sleep, Clara crept into his room. Her hands shook slightly as she grabbed his phone from the nightstand. She knew it was wrong to snoop, but she had to know. She had to protect him.

At first, the texts between Ace and Sirius were harmless—jokes, plans to meet up, normal teenage stuff. But something nagged at her, something deeper. She clicked over to Ace’s Notes app, and what she saw made her heart stop.