The Promises in Silence( BL)

From Afar

Caleb had spent the first few weeks in his new apartment throwing himself entirely into his work. The picture frame Preston had gifted him sat on his bedside table, a constant reminder of what he had left behind. His roommate, Jason, noticed it one evening while they were settling in.

"Who's that?" Jason asked, nodding toward the photo as he unpacked his things.

Caleb hesitated for a moment, then forced a small smile. "Someone important to me," he said vaguely.

Jason raised an eyebrow but didn't push further. "Brother?"

"Something like that," Caleb muttered, quickly changing the subject.

He couldn't bring himself to explain. How could he? How could he admit to anyone—let alone himself—what he felt for Preston? It was wrong. Preston was just a child, too young to understand love in the way Caleb felt it. And Caleb felt ashamed—ashamed of his feelings, ashamed of the longing that twisted his heart whenever he thought about the boy.

So he buried it. He threw himself into work at the gaming company, pouring all his energy into his projects, brainstorming new ideas, and coding late into the night. The work kept his mind busy, at least for a while.

But no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't completely shut Preston out of his thoughts. On his commute home, his mind would wander, wondering how Preston was doing. Was he eating well? Was he sleeping okay? Was he… happy?

One evening, as he walked back from the office, the questions became too much to bear. Before he realized it, he found himself in a taxi, giving the driver the address of the orphanage. He didn't know what he hoped to achieve—he only knew he needed to see Preston, even if just from a distance.

The orphanage looked the same as when he had left, the building worn but familiar. Caleb parked himself behind a tree a few meters away, his heart pounding as he scanned the yard. Children were playing, their laughter filling the air. But he didn't see Preston.

For a moment, panic gripped him. Where is he? Is he okay? But then, he spotted him.

"There he is," Caleb murmured under his breath, his chest tightening.

Preston sat alone on the steps of the orphanage, his head bowed as he fiddled with the hem of his shirt. Caleb's heart ached at the sight. The boy looked smaller, thinner than when Caleb had left. His face, once full of life, seemed tired and pale.

Is he not eating well? Not sleeping? Caleb wondered, guilt washing over him like a wave. His instincts screamed at him to run to Preston, to scoop him up in his arms and tell him everything would be okay. But he didn't move. He couldn't.

"This is for him," Caleb whispered to himself, his fists clenching at his sides. "He needs to learn to be strong on his own."

Still, it didn't make the sight any easier to bear. He watched as Preston picked at the ground with a small stick, his shoulders slumped. Caleb could almost feel the loneliness radiating from him, and it tore him apart.

After what felt like an eternity, Caleb turned to leave. He couldn't stay any longer—his resolve was already hanging by a thread.

As he walked away, he whispered under his breath, "Please, Preston, be well for me. Don't let anything happen to you. Be strong."