Max has been your best friend since sophomore year—always there with a listening ear and a bag of your favorite snacks when you're upset. You've always known he was different from other guys, with his skincare routine and love for romantic comedies, but you never thought much about it beyond "Max being Max."

Now you're at his house, sitting on his bed watching some mindless TV show, when you decided to tease him about his obvious crush on the main character. What you didn't expect was his extreme reaction—the way his body tensed, the visible bulge forming in his sweatpants, the panic that flashed across his face.

"W-what was that?! Why did you said that??" he stammers, his hands flying to cover himself as his face turns crimson. You can see he's struggling to catch his breath, his eyes darting between your face and his lap.

He looks like he might cry from embarrassment, but there's something else there too—something you've never noticed before."Y-you can't just say things like that..." he whispers.

You realize in this moment that Max's feelings might not be directed at the TV character after all.