BEHIND HIS SMILE MY NAME

Chapter 3 – Bruises and Butterflies

The boys’ locker room echoed with laughter and the clatter of sneakers as the gym class wrapped up. Zayn leaned against the cold metal lockers, tugging at the hem of his white shirt. Sweat clung to his skin, making the fabric stick. He could feel eyes on him—not just any eyes.

Teo’s.

Across the room, Teo sat on a bench, his shirt already off, his toned chest on display. He wasn’t doing anything special—just wiping his neck with a towel—but Zayn’s heartbeat didn’t seem to understand that.

"You alright?" Teo’s voice cut through the noise, low and casual, yet intimate.

Zayn quickly looked away. “Yeah. Just tired.”

Teo stood and walked over, close enough that Zayn caught the scent of clean soap and sweat. “You don’t have to pretend with me, you know.”

Zayn’s body went rigid. That line again. Teo always said stuff like that—teasing, testing, touching without really touching. And yet, it never crossed the line.

Except, sometimes, it did.

Zayn glanced up. Teo’s gaze dropped to a purplish bruise on Zayn’s side, just above his waistband. “That from training?”

“Something like that.” Zayn quickly pulled his shirt down.

Teo’s jaw tightened. “You sure it’s nothing else?”

Zayn scoffed. “What are you, my boyfriend?”

The silence that followed was louder than expected.

Then Teo leaned in, whispering close to Zayn’s ear. “Maybe I want to be.”

Before Zayn could reply, the locker room door slammed open.

“Teo!” Maia’s voice was sharp and a little too high-pitched. She walked in, ignoring the surprised gasps and stares from the boys around. “We need to talk.”

Zayn stepped back instinctively, but Teo didn’t flinch. Instead, he offered her a dry look. “In the middle of gym class? Really?”

“I saw the way you were looking at him,” she snapped, eyes flickering toward Zayn.

Zayn blinked. “What?”

Maia turned to him. “I’m not blind. Just because I’m with Zayn doesn’t mean I don’t see what’s going on.”

Teo looked from her to Zayn, then back again. “Maia…”

But she was already gone, storming out.

Zayn was frozen. His chest was tight, his thoughts spinning. This wasn’t supposed to happen. Teo wasn’t supposed to mean anything. Maia was supposed to be his shield. Just a cover.

But the way Teo looked at him…

It wasn’t pretend.

And for the first time, Zayn didn’t want to pretend either.