Gay Taking Hard -

Leo looked up, startled. "I have to. If I don't hold it together, who will?"

"Dammit," Leo hissed, leaning his forehead against the cold wood. He didn't move. He just let the frustration of the last decade settle in his chest. Marcus set his end down. "You okay? It’s just a dresser." gay taking hard

Leo looked at the blood soaking into the rag, then at the half-furnished room. For the first time, he realized that "taking it hard" didn't mean he was failing; it meant he was feeling. He had been so afraid of being vulnerable that he’d turned his life into a fortress. "I don't know how to stop," Leo admitted. Leo looked up, startled

His friend Marcus was helping him move. Marcus was the kind of guy who didn't say much but noticed everything. As they struggled to pivot a solid oak dresser through a narrow doorway, Leo’s grip slipped. The wood barked against his knuckles, drawing blood. He didn't move

"The rest of us," Marcus said simply. "You’re so busy being 'strong' and 'resilient' that you’ve forgotten how to let people in. Being gay in this world is tough, yeah. But you don't have to take the hits alone."

"Start with the dresser," Marcus grinned, gripping the handle. "I’ve got the heavy end. You just guide it in."

Leo took a breath, adjusted his grip, and for the first time in a long time, he let someone else carry the weight. He realized that the hardest part wasn't the struggle itself—it was the moment you finally decided you didn't have to do it by yourself.