The auditorium buzzed with life. Students milled around in their navy and silver gowns, some adjusting caps, others laughing too loudly, taking blurry selfies with trembling hands. It was a room filled with adrenaline, nerves, and the weight of years of work—all about to culminate in a single moment.
Cleo stood near the side entrance of the stage, his program rolled tightly in his hand like a baton. Sweat clung to the back of his neck despite the cold air conditioning. He hadn't slept much the night before. Not from cramming—he was done with exams—but from thinking.
Of every all-nighter. Every group project he'd had to carry. Every awkward coffee break where he sat across from Riz pretending he didn't feel everything. Of their first kiss. Of the old library shelves. Of the camping trip. Of their moms crying in the kitchen the night they came out.
"Hey." A voice beside him.
Cleo turned. Riz stood there, already in line to ascend the stage, his gown pressed perfectly, tassel angled just right. His smile was crooked, but his eyes were steady.
"You okay?" Riz asked.
Cleo exhaled a laugh. "Yeah. Just... overwhelmed."
Riz nudged his shoulder. "We earned this. You, especially. Engineering valedictorian? You're a beast."
Cleo looked at him. "So are you. Top architecture student? Your thesis made *me* cry, and I don't even like buildings."
Riz chuckled and looked out at the sea of chairs where families were sitting, waiting.
"Do you think they see us now?" he asked softly.
Cleo followed his gaze. There, in the second row, their moms were sitting side by side, clutching their programs, eyes sweeping the crowd for their sons. Bea waved frantically the moment she spotted them and started shouting something inaudible over the noise.
"They've always seen us," Cleo murmured.
The speakers crackled. The university president began his welcome address, reminding the students that they were "the future of innovation, design, and leadership." Cleo half-listened, mind spinning with the fact that this was real. The last four years, the long rivalry that turned into something deep, the confusion, the nights in Riz's arms when everything finally made sense—all of it had led here.
Names were called.
One by one, graduates rose, stepped onto the stage, shook hands, smiled for photos. And then:
**"Riz Angelo Castillo. Bachelor of Science in Architecture. Magna Cum Laude."**
Cleo clapped hard, almost dropping his rolled-up program. Riz walked across the stage with a quiet, grounded kind of pride. He didn't wave. He didn't ham it up. But the moment he turned his head and locked eyes with Cleo, he smiled—soft, intimate, like it was just the two of them in the room.
Their moms screamed his name. Riz gave a subtle two-finger salute toward them as he stepped off the stage, diploma in hand.
A few more names.
Then:
**"Cleo Francisco Reyes. Bachelor of Science in Engineering. Summa Cum Laude. Valedictorian."**
It was loud. The crowd erupted. Cleo didn't realize his legs were moving until he was halfway up the stairs. The bright lights blinded him, the Dean's smile was a blur—but the moment that mattered was when he held his diploma and looked out into the crowd.
His mom had her hands over her mouth. Riz was standing and clapping, grinning like he'd won something, like *this* was the moment he'd been waiting for.
Cleo bowed—awkwardly, but with heart—and stepped down.
They found each other backstage.
And without a word, Riz pulled him into a hug. Not the quick, back-patting kind. The real kind. The kind that said, *We did it. We're free.*
"I'm so proud of you," Riz whispered into his shoulder.
"I'm proud of us," Cleo replied.
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**After the Ceremony**
They posed for photos—dozens of them. With family. With friends. With professors. Riz's mom made them stand beneath a tree where they used to play tag as kids. Cleo's dad handed them both water and said, "You boys always ran together. Even back then. Like you knew you'd cross the finish line side by side."
Bea got a selfie of them with diplomas pressed to each other's chests, grinning like idiots. "Caption it," she said.
Cleo took her phone and typed: *Blueprints and circuits, baby.*
They left campus hours later, exhausted and light.
On the drive home, Riz laced his fingers with Cleo's and whispered, "You're the best thing I've ever built my life around."
Cleo kissed his knuckles. "And you're the only one I'd trust with the foundation."
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Later That Evening | Family Dinner at the Castillo's House
The house smelled of garlic butter and grilled herbs—Riz's dad had gone all out on a celebratory dinner. There was laughter echoing down the halls, wine glasses clinking, and stories being passed across the table like shared memories.
Cleo sat with his hand still lightly brushing Riz's under the table. Every time their parents laughed together, it reminded him just how intertwined their lives had always been—and how different this moment felt now that everything was in the open.
Halfway through dessert, Riz's mom raised her glass.
"To our boys," she said, voice proud and soft. "You made it."
Everyone toasted. Cleo's mom dabbed at her eyes with a napkin and looked straight at them. "You both were always so bright. But now I see you shining in ways I didn't even know to hope for."
Cleo swallowed hard. His dad, quiet for most of the evening, finally spoke up. "It takes guts to be good at what you do. But it takes real courage to do it without hiding who you are." He turned to Riz, then back to Cleo. "We're proud of the men you've become. Not just because of your diplomas. But because of how you love, how you lead, and how you've never let each other fall behind."
Riz blinked rapidly. "You guys are trying to make us cry."
"Well, it's working," Cleo said with a wet laugh, wiping at his eyes.
Riz's mom reached over and squeezed both their hands. "We're lucky to witness it. Whatever you build next—just know we'll always be behind you."
It was quiet for a moment—no one spoke, only the crackle of the candle flames and the soft music playing from the speaker in the corner. Then Riz smiled at Cleo.
"I guess that means they approve of the blueprint," he whispered.
Cleo leaned in, bumping shoulders with him. "I think they've been rooting for it since the first crayon drawing."
They all laughed, together.
And for once, nothing felt uncertain. Only full.
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End of Chapter Twenty One