Riven's POV
The house was quieter than usual.
But it wasn't peace—it was the kind of silence that comes after an earthquake.
His brother didn't speak to him the next morning.
Neither did his father.
His mother's smile was tight, forced. Like it hurt to look at him.
Riven knew.
They knew.
---
He tried to act normal—ate his rice quietly, carried his books to the car, nodded when spoken to.
But inside, everything was burning.
What scared him most wasn't their anger.
It was their silence.
It was the way his father looked at him like a stranger at the dinner table.
It was the way his mother stopped asking him if he was okay.
It was how home no longer felt like home.
---
That night, his phone buzzed.
Eli 💬:
> "Are you okay?"
Riven stared at the screen.
Typed.
Deleted.
Typed again.
Riven 💬:
> "No. But I will be."
---
Eli's POV
He was scared too.
Not because of what Riven's brother had seen.
But because he knew this would come with consequences.
Whispers had already started in school.
People stared at them differently.
Two guys caught kissing on a rooftop? That kind of story didn't stay secret long.
He heard things in the hallway:
> "Is it true?"
"Riven and that art guy?"
"No way. He doesn't even look gay."
"They're just messing around. Guys like Riven don't fall for guys like that."
Eli didn't cry.
But something cracked in his chest every time he heard Riven's name spoken like it was a scandal.
---
That evening, his mom knocked on his door.
"Eli," she said gently. "We need to talk."
He sat there, already knowing.
She held out a photo.
It was him and Riven. From the art exhibit. Smiling. Close.
"You're in love with him?" she asked softly.
Eli nodded, throat dry.
Her eyes shimmered.
Not with anger.
But with worry.
"I just want you to be safe," she said. "And loved. Fully. Loudly. Not secretly."
He blinked.
Then cried.
Because he hadn't expected to be seen.
---
Riven's POV
His parents called him into the living room.
No yelling.
Just stares.
His father spoke first.
> "You've always had a future, Riven. Don't throw it away over… impulses."
Riven clenched his fists. "This isn't a phase. It's not rebellion. I love him."
His mother turned away.
His father's jaw tightened.
"We didn't raise you for this."
"And I didn't ask to be raised like this," Riven snapped. "I don't need your approval to be whole."
He stood.
Walked to the door.
Paused.
Then looked back.
"If loving someone makes me lose this family, maybe I was never really part of it to begin with."
He slammed the door behind him.
---
Later That Night – Eli's House
Riven stood at Eli's window, soaked in rain.
Eli opened it, eyes wide.
"I didn't know where else to go," Riven said, voice cracking.
Eli reached for him.
Pulled him in.
Wrapped him in warmth.
And for the first time in days, they breathed.
Together.
No more hiding.
No more shame.
Only two boys—tired, bruised, but choosing each other over fear.
---