"Things We Are Afraid Of" is a 16,800-word gay romance short story that captures the ache of wanting someone who keeps pushing you away. Perfect for readers who crave the mutual pining and forced proximity tropes, this contemporary YA romance unfolds during a school trip to the mountains—where shared bedrooms, bonfire conversations, and late-night snacks create the kind of intimacy that breaks down even the most carefully built walls. If you love slow-burn longing with a emotional payoff, this one’s for you.

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Toby can’t stop watching Travis. In crowded hallways, at his locker, across the calculus classroom—his eyes find him every time. But Travis is a master of distance, always having an excuse: his grandmother needs him, work called him in, he has to get home. Toby collects these explanations like stones in his pocket, heavy and useless. Then there’s the name Travis scribbles in his notebook margins, only to cross it out again and again: Sebastian. Who was he? And why does the thought of him make Toby’s chest burn?

When a three-day school trip to the mountains throws them into the same tiny lodge room, the careful distance between them becomes impossible to maintain. Late nights turn into whispered conversations. A bag of plain salted potato chips becomes a confession. And when another student is brutally attacked for coming out—then lectured by a teacher for being “too open”—Travis’s reaction reveals more than words ever could.

But Toby still doesn’t have his answer. Is Travis pulling him closer or building walls higher? Does Sebastian still own a piece of Travis’s heart? And when Toby finally stops being afraid and tells the truth—I want more than friendship—will Travis run toward him or away?

One kiss changes everything. One morning after threatens to undo it all. And a final choice in a hardware store stockroom will determine whether fear wins… or love finally gets its say.

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“Things we are afraid of” isn’t just another coming-out story. It’s about the courage to stop hiding when everything in your life tells you to stay invisible—sick grandmother, overworked mother, a job you can’t afford to lose. It’s about choosing to sit with the boy everyone else abandoned. It’s about plain salted chips and crossed-out names and the terror of wanting someone so much you might break. Readers who love emotional, character-driven gay romance with a hard-won happy ending will devour this short story. Don’t miss the ache, the longing, and the breathtaking relief of finally.

Table of Contents:

• Free Sample

• Things We Are Afraid Of. Part 1.

• Things We Are Afraid Of. Part 2.