The moment they stepped through the grand revolving doors of the hotel lobby, Willy immediately felt the weight of dozens of eyes shifting toward them. It wasn't the standard glance given to checking-in guests, it was an intense, lingering stare that made his skin prickle with discomfort. Sensing the spotlight, Willy instinctively shifted closer to Tim, lowering his voice to a quiet murmur.
"Why is literally everyone in the lobby staring at us like that?"
Tim didn't even blink. He threw his shoulders back, a smug, effortless grin plastering his face. "Come on, Captain, we look absolutely phenomenal together. Why on earth shouldn't they be staring at us? It's a free show."
Willy narrowed his eyes, analyzing the room. He quickly realized that the front desk agents, the bellhops, and the concierge weren't looking at them, their wide, recognizable eyes were glued entirely onto Tim. It was a look of pure shock and familiarity. They know him, Willy realized instantly. He's been here before. A wave of unease hit him as he remembered Tim's viscerally cold reaction back on the private jet when the hotel's name was mentioned. What was the hidden story here?
Unable to suppress it, Willy leaned in. "Tim, I think the staff definitely recognizes you. Have you stayed at this hotel before?"
Tim let out a soft chuckle, handing his clearance ID to the receptionist. "Of course they recognize me, Willy. I know pretty much every single employee in this building because I used to work here."
Willy's jaw practically dropped. I worked here? He stared at the boy in utter shock. Tim was frustratingly complex, but Willy knew that when it came to personal matters between them, Tim never lied.
"I told you earlier, Captain, I hold quite a few unexpected professions," Tim whispered, leaning over the marble counter. "I only officially handed in my resignation about two or three months ago. I know everyone on the floor. They're actually incredibly nice people, especially the general manager."
Willy's mind raced as the receptionist greeted Tim with a warm, deeply respectful, and almost reverent tone, checking them into their executive suite. If Tim had a fantastic relationship with the staff and the boss, why on earth had he been so visibly upset about staying here? Tim was a bottomless well of secrets, every single time Willy thought he finally had him figured out, a new, hidden chapter of his life ripped open.
Once the registration was completed, they headed into the glass elevator, ascending smoothly to the top floor. The moment Willy unlocked the door to their suite and flicked on the master lights, he stopped dead in his tracks. Sitting right at the entrance foyer was a pristine, familiar leather suitcase.
Willy blinked, pointing at it. "Wait... is that your luggage? How on earth did it get here before us? We literally just landed!"
Tim kicked his shoes off, looking completely unfazed. "The second you told me the name of the hotel back at the hangar, I sent a quick text to one of my contacts back home. He had the estate staff pack it and deliver it straight to the room via the VVIP courier line."
Willy shook his head, thoroughly overwhelmed by the sheer speed of Tim's logistical power. He had absolutely no idea when Tim had managed to arrange the whole thing under his nose.
Tim unzipped the suitcase, tossing it onto the king-sized bed, and began sorting through his clothes. Without a shred of modesty, he smoothly slipped out of Willy's tight designer button-down, exposing his lean, muscular torso to the room as he reached for a comfortable oversized hoodie. He instantly caught Willy's paralyzed, tracing gaze in the mirror.
Tim paused, a slow, dangerous smirk spreading across his lips. "What's the matter, Captain? Want to step up and get a closer look?"
Willy didn't answer, his face burning as he aggressively turned his back to look out the window. Tim, never one to let an opportunity for teasing slip by, walked up right behind him, his bare chest practically brushing against Willy's shoulder blades.
"Are you seriously trying to run away from me now?" Tim purred in a low voice. "You know, you're fully allowed to touch me if you want to. Other people only get the privilege of staring from a safe distance, but you? You hold the exclusive all-access pass, Willy."
Willy swallowed hard, his hands clenching into fists. It was terrifying. Whenever he was in an enclosed space with Tim, his entire brain short-circuited, wiping away every analytical thought until he could only focus on the heat radiating from the boy beside him. He had never lost control like this with anyone in his life.
"Can you... please go change your clothes inside the bathroom?" Willy managed to say, his voice strained.
Tim let out a soft, delighted laugh, stepping back. "Okay, okay, as you command, Captain. But you really don't need to exercise that much agonizing self-control around me." He snatched his hoodie off the bed and disappeared behind the bathroom door.
The moment the door clicked shut, Willy's phone vibrated violently in his pocket. He pulled it out to find a notification stating that Miles had aggressively added him to a brand-new group chat titled: "The Lovers' Support Club." Willy stared at the screen, genuinely unsure whether he should burst out laughing or track down his brother and murder him.
Miles:Welcome to the official support club for my absolute idiot of a brother. I'm here to dispense high-level relationship advice to the other couples, but first, we need to collectively deal with this emotional trainwreck.
Al:Alright, spill the details! What's the current status? Are you guys officially together yet or what?!
Seb:I have a strong feeling our texts are actively interrupting a moment, which is exactly why he's ghosting us. I actually need some dating advice myself, but for now, let's focus on saving Willy before his emotional constipation ruins everything.
Al:Wait, why isn't Logan in this chat?!
Miles:Are you insane? I can't leak intelligence to Logan and let him infiltrate Tim's camp. We have a counter-spy planted in their chat anyway. We will know every single move of their operations.
Seb:Hold up... they have a chat too?!
Miles:Ethan was supposed to set it up. They've probably already dragged Tim into it.
Al:Ugh, I'm certain Tim won't leak a single sentence. He's even more tight-lipped than Willy.
Willy couldn't bear to read another line of the text block. He pinched the bridge of his nose, thoroughly convinced he was cursed with the most unhinged friends on the planet.
Willy:Stop this absolute nonsense right now. I don't have the time or the energy for this!
Miles:Oh, wow. You've already sorted out your feelings? This soon? Statistically impossible.
Al:I think Seb was right, guys. Let's vacate the premises and stop blocking his view. Go have fun with your boy, Willy.
Seb:Seriously though, can someone check what's going on in the rival chat?
Willy's curiosity peaked despite himself. He found himself wondering exactly how Tim's friends were reacting and how Tim was handling it. Knowing his personality, Tim had probably gotten aggressively annoyed and blocked the entire notification thread. At that exact moment, Willy noticed Tim's phone sitting face-up on the mattress.
The bathroom door opened, and Tim walked out, completely ignoring his device as he adjusted his hoodie. Willy desperately wanted to see his reaction to the chat, but he couldn't just casually tell him to check his phone without looking incredibly suspicious. He needed a strategic distraction.
"Shouldn't we go for a walk around the area before our dinner reservation?" Tim suggested, running a hand through his damp hair.
"That sounds like a good plan," Willy lied smoothly, lying back against the pillows. "But honestly, I'm still feeling a bit exhausted. I want to rest in bed for a little while first."
"Alright, get some rest," Tim smiled, walking toward the door. "I'll head downstairs and catch up with some of the floor staff. I'm sure they have a mountain of gossip to tell me. I'll be waiting for you in the lobby whenever you're ready."
Tim reached out, blindly scooping his phone off the bed without even glancing at the lock screen. Willy panicked internally. If Tim left the room now, his plan to witness his reaction would completely fail.
"Wait!" Willy called out quickly. "Can I... borrow your phone for a minute? The network reception in this corner of the room is awful, and my data isn't loading."
Tim didn't hesitate for even a fraction of a second. He unlocked the device and handed it right over to Willy with complete, unconditional trust.
"Thanks," Willy muttered, taking it.
"Here, hand me your phone," Tim countered naturally, reaching out. "I'll manually configure it to the hotel's secure high-speed Wi-Fi network for you. You can use mine in the meantime."
Willy froze, reluctantly placing his own phone into Tim's hand. His heart hammered against his ribs in sheer terror. He had no other choice, but he was completely sick to his stomach wondering what kind of unhinged, explicit texts those three idiots were currently firing into his notifications. He desperately wished he had a telepathic link to warn them to shut up. Tim took Willy's phone, walking over to the armchair near the window to type in the security codes.
"I'm just going to log into my account messenger real quick," Willy muttered, clicking into the application. "I need to drop a message to the club members."
"Go ahead, no problem," Tim called out casually.
Willy rapidly opened the group chat, his thumbs flying across the keyboard in a frantic panic.
Willy:Do NOT write a single stupid thing. Tim literally has my phone in his hands right now.
The moment the text was sent, he aggressively logged out of the profile link, ensuring no pop-up notifications could betray him. He prayed to whatever deity was listening that they would actually heed the warning.
At that exact second, a bright notification banner popped up on the screen of Tim's phone. It was an invite link from Ethan, who had officially created a group chat titled: "The Better Halves Support Network."
Willy's eyes widened. He knew he shouldn't read it, but his curiosity won the battle. He clicked the banner.
Ethan:Tim, I created this secure server to assist you in your courtship campaign. We can share psychological data and tactical tips. Logan and I are officially operational to help you win Willy over.
Logan:Reporting for duty. Let me know if you need any tactical maneuvers, bro.
Willy stared at the screen, a sudden wave of sheer, bitter jealousy hitting his chest. Why can't my friends be normal like this?! he thought aggressively. Why am I cursed with chaotic idiots who only exist to make my blood pressure skyrocket, while Tim gets a literal tactical support squad? He felt thoroughly robbed and slightly annoyed.
Willy cleared his throat, looking across the room. "Tim... you just got a sequence of messages from Ethan."
Tim didn't even look up from configuring the Wi-Fi. "Go ahead and read them out loud, Willy. I don't mind."
Willy took a breath, reading the text line by line. "Ethan says: 'Tim, I created this chat to help you. We can share tips. Logan and I will help you.'"
The room went entirely silent for a beat. Then, Tim let out a sudden, sharp gasp before bursting into a loud, uncontrollable fit of laughter. He threw his head back against the armchair, laughing so hard that actual tears began to bead in the corners of his eyes, his entire frame shaking.
"Oh my god, they are so incredibly cute!" Tim gasped, wiping his eyes as his laughter finally began to wind down. "Let me guess your brother and his chaotic circus are running a rival operation on your phone right now, aren't they? See, Willy? The universe has spoken. Literally everyone on this planet wants us to be together."
Tim stood up, walking over to the bed with a wicked, knowing grin. "And honestly, you are absolutely adorable. You were dying to see my reaction to the chats, weren't you? I know that's the real reason you made up that terrible excuse to keep me from leaving the room."
Tim continued to chuckle, thoroughly pleased with himself. Willy's face flushed a deep crimson, and he aggressively shoved the device back into Tim's hand. "Stop laughing at me. Here's your stupid phone."
Tim took it, his eyes sparkling with pure affection. "You know, you can go ahead and reply to them for me. Tell them: 'Thank you, I deeply appreciate the support, but the assistance is no longer necessary. I am officially retiring from pursuing Willy to be my boyfriend.'"
Willy's heart stopped, a sudden, cold panic freezing his chest. He looked up, his voice cracking slightly. "What? Why? Why are you stopping?"
Tim leaned down, his face stopping mere inches away from Willy's, his breath warm against his lips. "Because, Captain... I've been casually calling you my boyfriend all day long, and not a single time have you actually opened your mouth to correct me."
Willy's eyes widened as the realization hit him. He swallowed hard, scrambling for an excuse. "That's... that's only because I didn't hear you say it..."
"You are an absolutely atrocious liar, Willy," Tim whispered, his grin widening into something incredibly tender. He reached down, firmly interlocking their fingers, and pulled Willy off the bed. "Come on, let's go for that walk. I have a million things planned for us tonight."
Without giving Willy a chance to argue, Tim led him out of the suite and into the crisp evening air. Tim really had researched everything perfectly. He guided Willy down a scenic path leading into a massive, historic park located just behind the hotel property, a place where Tim confessed he used to wander constantly during his off-hours when he worked at the resort. The park was breathtaking, centered around a vast, mirror-like lake filled with elegant swans, gliding ducks, and schools of vibrant fish breaking the surface.
Willy immediately pulled out his camera, completely captivated by the scenery, snapping photos of the wildlife while Tim quietly maneuvered around him, taking candid, beautiful photos of Willy when he wasn't looking. At one point, Tim mysteriously vanished into the twilight crowd, only to return a few minutes later holding two perfectly iced Americanos.
He slid one into Willy's hand. "I remembered it's your absolute favorite."
Willy looked at the cup, a profound warmth spreading through his chest. "Thanks, Tim... Where is our next destination?"
"You'll find out in exactly two minutes," Tim winked.
They exited the park gates, walking down a vibrant, neon-lit commercial avenue until Tim suddenly stopped right beneath the glowing marquee of a boutique cinema building.
Tim turned to him, his expression suddenly shifting into something soft and hopeful. "I promised you back at the bowling alley that we would properly finish a movie together tonight. I really hope you like the selection."
Willy stared at the marquee, then looked back at the beautiful boy standing before him. A wave of pure, unfiltered happiness crashed through his usual icy defenses. Unable to contain it, Willy leaned forward, closing the distance, and pressed a soft, lingering kiss right against Tim's cheek.
"I don't even know how many times I'm going to be forced to say this to you today, Tim... but thank you. I am genuinely, incredibly happy right now."
Tim's eyes shone in the neon lights, his smile completely radiant. "I am so glad you're happy, Willy."
They entered the theater, Tim enthusiastically purchasing an oversized tub of popcorn and drinks. After a brief wait, they guided themselves into the darkened auditorium, finding their reserved leather recliners right in the center row.
As the lights dimmed, Tim leaned over, whispering into his ear. "If my eyes start to close and I pass out, you have a strict legal obligation to wake me up."
"Oh, I definitely will," Willy whispered back with a smirk. "Because it's a very long, dark walk back to the hotel, and I am absolutely not carrying your heavy ass across town."
Tim chuckled softly, naturally leaning his head over to rest it comfortably against Willy's shoulder. As the trailers ended and the feature film began to roll, Tim fought with every fiber of his being to keep his heavy eyelids open. It wasn't an easy battle. But instead of actually paying attention to the plot on the massive screen, Tim kept shifting his gaze upward, staring intently at the sharp, beautiful profile of Willy's face in the flickering cinematic light.
Willy didn't turn his head, but his jaw ticked. "Watch the movie, Tim. Stop staring at me."
"How am I supposed to concentrate on a fictional screen when the most beautiful view is sitting right next to me?" Tim murmured smoothly, his voice a low, mesmerizing vibration. "You seriously have no concept of how handsome you look right now, Willy. I physically cannot take my eyes off you."
Willy's ears turned a furious shade of pink. Without a word, he reached out and placed his palm firmly over Tim's eyes, forcing his head back toward the screen.
Tim simply grinned beneath his hand. "I absolutely love it when you get bossy like that."
"Shut up and watch the movie," Willy muttered, his heart racing.
"You know exactly what you have to do if you want to make me shut up, Captain," Tim teased suggestively.
Shifting his movement, Willy moved his palm down, firmly capping his hand over Tim's mouth to silence him. But even with his lips blocked, Tim's eyes danced with laughing, unyielding mischief. Willy leaned in close, his lips brushing against the shell of Tim's ear as he dropped his voice into a dangerous, low whisper.
"You are being incredibly naughty tonight. If you behave yourself perfectly for the rest of this film, I promise you will receive a very proper reward back at the hotel tonight."
The effect was instantaneous. Tim went completely rigid, his playful teasing vanishing as his throat bobbed. He silently nodded, settling back into his chair. For the remainder of the film, he kept his promise, remaining completely silent as Willy comfortably kept his arm wrapped securely around his waist.
When the credits finally rolled and they stepped back out onto the cool, bustling city street, Tim immediately turned to him, crossing his arms.
"Alright, the movie is officially over, and I behaved perfectly," Tim demanded, a victorious glint in his eyes. "It's time to pay up on your promise, Captain. I calculated the exchange rate: I want exactly twelve individual kisses, and you are legally required to hold my hand tightly until the exact second I drift off to sleep tonight."
Willy suppressed a smirk, continuing to walk. "That's funny, because the reward I had in mind was entirely different."
Tim pouted, falling into step beside him. "Nope, absolutely not. I'm holding you to this because you still haven't explicitly admitted out loud to my face that I am your official boyfriend."
Willy paused on the sidewalk, looking at him with a soft, challenging gaze. "And what if I choose to admit it right now? What if I say that you are my boyfriend?"
Tim's breath caught for a split second before he stubbornly turned his head away, a blush creeping up his neck. "Still no. I refuse to accept a casual admission on a random street corner just because you're trying to get out of paying your debt."
Willy let out a soft, genuine laugh, his heart feeling lighter than it had in years. "Okay, okay. I understand you. Let's keep moving."
They strolled down the avenue, the ambient noise of the city fading into the background as they finally arrived at the grand plaza where the international championship convention center stood. The massive glass architecture was beautifully lit up, decorated with towering, high-definition posters showcasing the profiles of the world's most successful and popular professional shooters.
Willy stopped, staring up at the towering banners. His chest swelled with a sudden, overwhelming wave of profound ambition and quiet determination. He could see his own reflection in the glass, right beneath the golden lights.
"It's absolutely incredible..." Willy murmured, his eyes reflecting the grand display. "I hope... I hope that one day, my official poster will be displayed up there among the elite."
Tim stepped up right beside him, his gaze shifting away from the banners to look directly at Willy's face, his voice carrying an unyielding, absolute conviction.
"It will be, Willy. Right next to my poster."
Willy turned his head, his eyes locking into Tim's. Looking at the fierce, unwavering faith in the boy's eyes, he realized that one day, perhaps very soon, their posters truly would hang side by side at the top of the world. Tomorrow, the first shot will be fired. And if they secured victory in this international arena, everything about their world would change forever.