The House

✨ Chapter One | Disillusioned

Liam walked home through quiet city streets around eight o'clock.

The sidewalk stretched out in front of him, empty and still. The only sound was the buzz of a flickering streetlight overhead. He thought about calling an Uber but stayed in his daze. He was numb, annoyed, and deeply over it.

He'd just gotten stood up.

Again.

He was so tired of this. Tired of dating, tired of that stupid app, tired of putting in all this effort for guys who gave him nothing in return. What was wrong with people? He made sure every guy he dated knew how much he liked them and still, it always ended the same.

The past few years had been rough. College was going fine, sure, but everything else? A disaster.

He came out back in high school and, honestly, it had gone well. His parents were supportive. He'd even dated the only guy on the cheer team, Ben. It was great while it lasted. 

They stayed together a few months after graduation before Ben broke it off. Said they were growing apart, moving on, and all that generic breakup talk that didn't make it hurt any less.

That was three years ago. Liam had tried dating again once he finally got over Ben, but nothing worked. He'd done it all. Apps, bars, even the campus library.

Hell, he'd even flirted with his neighbor once. The guy wasn't even gay. Liam knew that, but tried anyway. Because apparently he was that desperate now.

His neighbor hadn't spoken to him since. Every time Liam passed him out in the garden, the guy looked at him like a ghost. Now even checking the mail came with a side of awkward tension.

What the hell was he doing with his life?

He thought about that a lot.

It wasn't like he was unattractive. He worked hard on himself. But lately, it felt like the guys he liked were never into him. And the ones who liked him? Not his type.

He was fit but short, with a baby face that made him look younger than twenty. And it seemed like every guy he was into wanted someone taller, older-looking... someone who wasn't Liam.

After sulking for almost an hour in the crisp night air, dragging his feet and refusing to call a ride out of sheer spite, he finally made it home.

He opened the door to the house and was greeted by his roommates: Morgan, Ethan, and Julian.

They were cool. They'd lived together all through college and gotten close. His chaotic little queer friend group. No matter how much his love life sucked, Liam was grateful for them. Things could always be worse.

Ethan and Julian were high school sweethearts, still going strong. Liam had brought them up more than once during fights with Ben, trying to prove high school couples could work. Not that it mattered. Ben never listened.

Still, Ethan and Julian were solid. They were so in love it was borderline gross. Liam adored them. He wanted that kind of love.

Morgan was... maybe single? Liam was never quite sure. Morgan had a way of keeping things casual, and he definitely got around. But Liam didn't judge. If anything, he was jealous of how easy it seemed for Morgan.

Morgan was basically Liam's opposite.

Laid-back, effortless, confident. Smooth. Never awkward.

Except when it came to swimming, he got serious. The guy was a beast in the pool. Liam had gone with him to practice tons of times, just messing around while Morgan did lap after lap like a machine.