Chapter Nineteen: The Rooftop Service

The sun had just started to set, casting a warm, golden hue across Westwood High's skyline. Leo stood at the bottom of the school's parking lot, his hands shoved deep into his jacket pockets, his eyes tracing the familiar brick building above him. He had made a decision.

The roof.

It wasn't an idea born out of logic. But after the chaos of the last few weeks—the confusion, the tension, the mess—Leo found himself drawn to the rooftop. It was quiet up there. Peaceful. And maybe, just maybe, it was the perfect place for what he needed to say.

He glanced over at Adrian, who was leaning against the side of the school building, arms crossed, watching him closely. Leo wasn't sure what had changed, but it felt like there was something between them now. Something that had shifted, like the first breath of spring after a long winter.

Adrian raised an eyebrow. "You serious about this?"

"Yeah," Leo said with a small grin, his heart racing in a way that wasn't entirely nerves but more like a sense of anticipation. "Come on. You always talk about how no one can get up there. Let's make it happen."

Adrian hesitated but then pushed himself off the wall. "I'll show you how to sneak up. But if we get caught…" His voice trailed off with a half-warning, half-playful note.

Leo only smiled, following him toward the stairwell that led to the old storage rooms at the back of the school. The rooftop had been off-limits for as long as anyone could remember, and everyone had heard the rumors: the janitor had locked it up years ago after too many students snuck up there for "private" hangouts. But Adrian had a way of getting around things. Leo had always admired that about him.

They sneaked into the narrow maintenance hallway, and Leo followed Adrian up a series of stairs until they reached a door that was supposed to be locked. Adrian pulled a small key from his pocket, the one he had managed to "borrow" from a friend who worked in facilities, and turned it with a satisfying click. The door creaked open slowly.

Leo stepped out onto the roof, the cool evening breeze hitting his face immediately. The view was breathtaking—the sprawling city beneath them, the distant mountains fading into the twilight sky, the orange and pink streaks of sunset reflecting off the windows below. It felt like they were in their own world, far away from the noise and chaos of the school.

Leo inhaled deeply. "This is... perfect."

Adrian leaned against the edge of the roof, his gaze distant. "Told you." His voice was low, contemplative. "Sometimes, you just need to escape."

Leo joined him, standing at the edge for a moment, allowing the silence to stretch between them. This was different. There was no rush to fill the quiet with words. There was no need for explanations. Just the feeling of being here, together, in this moment.

"I've been thinking," Leo said finally, breaking the silence. His voice was steadier than he felt. "About what you said. About what we're doing."

Adrian turned to face him, his eyes softening. "Yeah?"

"Yeah. And I realized… I don't want to be scared anymore." Leo took a step closer, the vulnerability in his chest becoming more real with every word. "I don't want to keep pretending that I don't care, that I can just walk away if things get hard. I care about you, Adrian. More than I've ever cared about anyone. And I don't want to mess this up."

Adrian's gaze dropped for a moment, and Leo could see the conflicting emotions swirling inside him. But then Adrian took a deep breath, looking back up at Leo with an intensity that made his heart skip.

"You don't have to be scared," Adrian said, his voice barely above a whisper. "I'm scared too."

Leo's breath caught in his throat. "What are you scared of?"

Adrian shifted, pushing a hand through his messy hair. "That we're both too broken. That it'll never work. That maybe we're not meant for this." He looked away, almost as if he couldn't bear to meet Leo's gaze. "I've been through a lot, Leo. And sometimes it feels easier to just walk away than face what's inside."

Leo's chest tightened. He could feel the weight of Adrian's words, the rawness of them. This wasn't about running from each other anymore. This was about facing their own fears, together.

"I get that," Leo said, his voice quieter. He stepped closer, until there was only a foot between them. "But we don't have to do it alone. Not anymore."

Adrian met his eyes, a flicker of something soft in his gaze. "You're really serious about this, huh?"

"I'm not perfect, Adrian," Leo said, his voice steady with resolve. "I'm still figuring things out. But I want to figure it out with you."

Adrian looked at him for a long time, as though he were weighing Leo's words, testing their sincerity. Leo stood still, waiting, letting the silence stretch. He wasn't asking for a promise. He wasn't asking for anything grand. He just wanted Adrian to know that he wasn't going anywhere.

Finally, Adrian took a step forward, his eyes softening. "Okay."

"Okay?" Leo repeated, half in disbelief.

Adrian nodded, a small, tentative smile playing at the corners of his lips. "Yeah. We'll figure it out. Together."

And for the first time in a long time, Leo felt a surge of hope rise inside him. Maybe this wasn't perfect. Maybe things would get complicated again. But right now, standing on this rooftop with Adrian, it didn't matter.

They were in this, whatever this was, and for once, neither of them was going to run.

As the last light of the sunset faded into the deepening night sky, Leo and Adrian sat side by side, their legs dangling over the edge of the roof. No more words were needed. They just sat in the comfort of each other's presence, knowing that whatever came next, they would face it together.

The city below them buzzed with life, but up here, it was just the two of them. And for the first time, Leo realized that maybe, just maybe, that was all he needed.