The World Knows - Jay

It felt like the whole room was spinning, the weight of the moment finally settling in. I sat on the edge of the bed, Sam beside me, both of us staring at the phone screen in disbelief. It was wild. It was unreal. But it was happening.

"I can't believe it," I whispered, my voice barely audible.

Sam let out a little chuckle beside me, and I turned to look at him, his grin wide. His fingers were scrolling through his phone, but his eyes kept flicking up to meet mine. There was a certain light in his eyes—something that made my heart race every time he looked at me like that.

"Yeah," he said softly, his voice full of disbelief too. "I didn't expect the whole school to find out like this, but... it feels kinda amazing, right?"

I nodded, my mouth going dry. Sam had just posted a picture of us together, our arms around each other, smiling into the camera. And that was it. The whole world knew.

#Boyfriend was all it took.

The comments had already started flooding in. They ranged from congratulatory messages to questions about when it all happened. People who never gave us a second glance were suddenly paying attention, and I couldn't help but feel overwhelmed by it all.

"Are you okay?" Sam asked, his paw resting on mine. I looked at him, his concern genuine, and I nodded. It wasn't that I was scared—it was just a lot to process, but knowing he was there made everything feel okay.

"I'm fine," I said. "Just... a little shocked, I guess. I didn't expect it to happen like this. For the whole school to know."

"Yeah, me neither," Sam said, but his smile didn't fade. "But you know what? Now the world knows. We don't have to hide anymore. No more sneaking around, no more worrying about being careful when we hold hands, or kiss, or... whatever."

My heart skipped at that. "We can kiss anytime now?"

"Anytime," Sam said, his voice full of certainty. His thumb brushed against mine, sending a wave of warmth up my arm. "I don't care who's watching. I'm not hiding anymore."

My chest tightened at the idea. Sam wasn't just saying this; he was living it. And it felt like I could finally breathe. I had been so scared—scared of how people would react, how they'd judge us. But Sam had just opened the door. He'd taken that first step, and now we didn't have to hide anymore.

I reached for him, unable to help myself. "Sam..." I started, my voice catching.

"What?" he asked, his eyes searching mine.

"I love you," I said, the words coming out easier than I thought they would. The weight of the admission didn't feel as heavy as I thought. It felt natural. Like it was always meant to be this way.

Sam's eyes softened, his lips curving into the smallest of smiles. "I love you too," he whispered, his voice like a promise.

And before I could think about it, he leaned forward, his lips finding mine in a kiss that was so sweet and comforting, I felt like I was melting into it. It wasn't rushed. It wasn't frantic. It was slow and deliberate, like Sam was savouring the moment just as much as I was.