Haphephobia: the fear of being touched.
Blake, a second-year Psychology student, hadn't ever heard of such a phobia, until the day he was hired as a guide for Dean, the heir of a rich family.
Even though Dean had the appearance and behaviour of a ge...
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The rhythm and dry sound of the ball ricocheting on the wall and ground filled the large space, along with the squeaking of tennis shoes. Heavy, yet controlled breathing accompanied the quick movements, drops of sweat glimmering on fair skin.
Every time the yellow ball returned, Dean followed the movement skilfully, hitting it back. Regardless of prowess, it wasn't the game that occupied the player's mind.
Exams were over, his grades had been up to his standards, and he still had that weekend to relax. The new semester awaiting him on Monday was a considerable reason for tension, but not everything about it was a bad omen, as he would be able to see his friends.
Including Blake.
The racket hit the ball a bit too hard, causing it to bounce back with too much speed, ending his streak of success. Dean stood on the court, panting as his dazed eyes followed the lost ball's course up until it stopped.
Only a couple of days before, he had spent the evening at the dorms after his last exam. As he had expected, laughter and conversations had filled their time together, putting him in that relaxed state he could only be around Blake. Until they had decided to watch that movie.
Dean had seen countless movies throughout the years. As someone that hadn't lead the most common life, such media was a good portal to the rest of the world, so it wasn't as if it was something new to him.
That particular movie, however, had drawn him in like no other ever had. There was no dramatic storyline, no plot twist, just the realistic life story of a young boy. The young boy he could have been.
Out of the whole hour and a half, the lake scene had the biggest effect on him.
The protagonist sat by the water with the girl he had been crushing on for the whole movie, their fingers grazing in a slow progress that graduated to them intertwining. One could see the exact moment when the boy realized what was about to happen, and the giddiness took over.
Dean's heart swelled as the two kids awkwardly and adorably got closer and closer until their lips touched.
It had been awkward, and brief, and anticlimactic, but it looked real enough to have him thinking about all the experiences he had never had. A childhood crush, a first date... a first kiss.
