Chapter 44: Famous

The photo went viral within twelve hours.

A single candid snapshot — taken from across the quad — caught William Connor and Archie Collins walking side by side, shoulders brushing, fingers just barely linked. The sun cast a golden glow across the university lawn, but it was the look on their faces that captivated the internet. Calm. Free. Unapologetically together.

The headline came swiftly after:

"From Scandal to Strength: William Connor Steps Into the Light with Archie Collins."

By the time Archie made it to his afternoon literature class, he'd already been tagged in over two hundred posts on social media — a number that climbed with every passing hour.

He had half a mind to delete every app from his phone. But when he opened it again during a break, it wasn't just noise.

It was something else.

"I don't know who they are, but this? This isbrave."

"Cried reading their story. This worlddoesn't deserve people like Archie."

"From aqueer kid who thought love like this wasn't real — thankyou."

"William Connor could've hidden. Instead hechose truth. I respect it."

Archie blinked down at the screen, emotions knotting in his throat.

"Hey." A familiar voice beside him.

He looked up. William stood there, messenger bag slung over one shoulder, holding two iced coffees.

"Figured you might need this," he said, handing one over. "Figured I might need it too."

Archie took the cup, fingers brushing his. "We're trending."

William sighed. "I know. Amanda texted me this morning. She said 'Welcome to the chaos, boys.' Then followed it with like, ten fire emojis."

They both laughed, the tension cracking just enough.

They sat on a bench under a tree near the campus fountain, sunlight dappling through the branches, watching students pass by — some sneaking glances, others doing double takes, one or two giving them a thumbs-up.

"Do you regret it?" Archie asked quietly.

William didn't hesitate. "No. Never. I regret not doing it sooner."

"But the media's already writing essays about how I'm your 'controversial other half.' There's speculation I'm manipulating you, or using this to get attention. Some guy on a podcast said I was 'weaponizing trauma.'" Archie's voice faltered. "What if people only ever see us as a story?"

"Then let them look," William said, firmly. "Let them talk. But we live."

He reached over and placed a hand over Archie's. "And I don't care what they say — because I remember who you were before the stories, and I see who you are now. You're not a headline to me. You're the boy who poured my coffee even when I didn't deserve it. The boy who risked everything to bring the truth out. The boy I loved when I didn't even know how to say the word."

Archie's throat tightened. "You make it sound easy."

"It's not. But it's real. And that's enough."

They sat quietly for a moment, sipping coffee, watching a few birds dive through the air above the quad.

Then, almost out of nowhere, a group of students approached. Archie tensed.

But the girl in front — Maya from down the hall — smiled softly.

"We saw the post," she said. "Just wanted to say... we're proud of you both. It took guts."

"People suck sometimes," said Jonas, giving Archie a brief pat on the back, "but not all of us."

Then came Lila, Elliot, and Marco, grinning. "You better come back to the dorm tonight," Elliot said. "We're throwing you two a 'Screw the System' party. Cake and protest posters included."

Archie blinked, stunned.

William smiled. "Looks like we've got a fan club."

"They're better than reporters," Archie muttered.

And for the first time in what felt like forever, Archie laughed — not a polite chuckle, not a guarded smile — but a full, real, heart-loosening laugh. The kind that bubbles up from someplace deep and healed.

The kind that sounded like freedom.