“So, do you really think you know who I am, Pavel?” Pooh asked in a calm but sharp voice. Pooh’s change in demeanor only increased the tension Pavel had been feeling for the past few days. He knew this confrontation was coming, but he hadn’t expected it to be so direct. Despite the embarrassment that was rising in him, Pavel didn’t want to show that he was impressed. “I’m just saying what I see. You should stop hiding behind that mask all the time, Pooh.” »

After Pavel’s remark about Pooh’s “true personality,” Pooh stared at him intently. Without taking his eyes off Pavel, he slowly stepped forward, closing the space between them until Pavel felt trapped against the cold locker in the locker room.

Intense heat radiated from Pooh’s hand, so close to his face, and Pavel felt the cold metal of the locker against his back, preventing him from moving back an inch. He could feel Pooh’s breath, every word a bitter threat.

A wave of heat and apprehension washed over Pavel, but he tried to remain impassive, even though his heart was pounding.

“And you, Pavel,” Pooh whispered, his voice calm but sharp, “do you really think no one can see through your bad boy act?” The words hit Pavel hard, and for the first time, he felt truly exposed, as if Pooh could see past all his defenses. Still, he wouldn’t give in to the intimidation and snapped back, “Why does it matter to you? You hide who you are well, so why should I?”

Pooh’s smile widened slightly, almost dark. “Maybe because, unlike you, I’m not afraid of who I am,” he whispered before placing a firm hand on the locker, subtly trapping Pavel. “Keep playing this game, and you might discover things you’re not ready to handle.” » 

The silence that followed was charged with tension, and Pavel, although intimidated, did not back down. He knew that this confrontation was much deeper than it seemed, but he did not yet understand the extent of the feelings that this exchange awakened in him. 

That evening, lying in his bed, Pavel reviewed every detail of their exchange, unable to escape the memories. The image of Pooh, so close, so trusting, came back to his mind over and over again. He saw that piercing gaze, that smirk, and above all, that hand placed against the locker, like a mark of silent domination. This simple gesture had awakened contradictory feelings in him: Confusion and desire intertwined in him, transforming the slightest memory of Pooh into a wave of feelings that he could not channel. He tried to ignore them, to put them in a corner of his mind, but the image of Pooh came back with an almost obsessive force, 

Pavel had never felt something so intense. He, the "bad boy" always in control, found himself destabilized by someone who seemed to read him with disconcerting ease. This loss of control, far from frightening him, attracted him inexplicably. He didn't know yet what all this meant, but one thing was clear: from that moment on, nothing would be the same between them.

Every detail of that moment was etched in his memory—the coldness of the metal against his back, Pooh’s calm but sharp voice, and that crushing proximity that had left an indelible imprint on him. No matter how many times he turned around or tried to think about something else, that image of Pooh remained anchored in him, arousing a dangerous curiosity, mixed with an inexplicable desire. 

He felt that tension creeping into him, refusing to die down… 

Since that day, every encounter between Pavel and Pooh seemed charged with a new energy. A simple exchange of glances or a brief crossing in the corridors was enough for Pavel to feel his heart racing, an intense beat that he struggled to control. When he saw Pooh walking near him, he felt every muscle in his body tense, as if waiting for a touch, a word, a reaction. 

Every time Pooh approached, Pavel could almost smell his scent, a discreet fragrance that unsettled him, making him want to prolong each second. 

Every interaction, no matter how mundane, now carried a silent, almost palpable tension. The smiles Pooh offered others were never meant for Pavel, and yet, Pavel felt more connected to him than ever. He had discovered a side of Pooh that no one else suspected, and it fascinated him as much as it unsettled him. Pavel, who until then had always remained calm and confident, found himself destabilized every time he laid eyes on Pooh. 

Small, everyday gestures, previously innocuous, suddenly became heavy with meaning. Whenever Pooh entered a room, just feeling him near him made Pavel shudder. If their eyes met, even briefly, a shiver ran through him, awakening in him the same excitement he had felt during their confrontation.

But Pooh, as if he guessed this reaction, skillfully played with this new tension between them. He continued to never smile when they were alone, Pavel felt his heart waver with each smile that Pooh reserved for the others. He almost came to desire one, just to understand what it would do, 

leaving Pavel in a state of troubling confusion, lost between the provocation and the desire to better understand this mysterious side of his comrade. 

Each meeting became a silent challenge, a game of looks and unspoken words, a ballet of nascent feelings that Pavel could not control or ignore. The more he tried to move away, the more his heart betrayed him, inevitably bringing him back to Pooh, and each beat seemed to remind him that he would soon no longer be able to deny the irrepressible attraction he felt. 

And, in spite of himself, he knew that he would let himself be carried away, no matter where this game took him.