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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IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT AT THE END!!
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Friday came quicker than what Dean was ready for and with no solution in sight. Every look, every laugh, every smile sent his heart into a frenzy that left him a tremendous, awkward mess. The reasonable - or paranoid, he wasn't sure - part of him begged him to take cover, to raise his defences and hide from the uneasiness. The other part, the same part that would arbitrarily bring up flashes of their first kiss at the most unappropriated times, cheered for him to send caution to the wind, forget every risk and 'what if' and give in to temptation. The end result was an internal back and forward that fuelled his nerves into overdrive.
If Blake had noticed, he hadn't commented on it and Dean clung to the hope that his internal battle wasn't evident. From what he knew, Blake was behaving completely normal around him. Like at that moment, as they entered Dean's room and Blake dropped his bag by the coffee table and ran to the bed, falling face down on it with a 'hunf'.
Dean smiled, putting down his backpack by the desk.
- You really like that bed.
- It's made of dreams and feathers. – Blake's words were muffled against the mattress. – And money.
- You can sleep on it tonight.
It was a strategic phrasing. Dean wasn't sure whether Blake was expecting them to share the bed of not. They had done it before and his bed was larger than Blake's, but that had been before... all of that.
Once again, he was divided. Last time he had been so thrilled to have fallen asleep for half a second in the same bed as Blake and that had been before he was able to hug him.
He still didn't believe he would sleep the whole night if there was someone lying right next to him, but given that he was at home and the size of the bed, there was a small chance. However, considering where they stood or, more precisely, considering he didn't know where either of them stood with the other, he didn't have the nerve to be the one proposing they share.
Blake sat up and shook his head. Something in Dean began to sink, but Blake wasn't done.
- Last time you barely slept and you should be well-rested for your birthday. – he said. - I'll take the floor.
