Chapter 17: The Morning After
The morning light slips through the curtains in soft, golden ribbons, casting gentle patterns on the sheets. The room is still, warm, filled with the quiet hum of early life outside - the occasional sound of footsteps, a door creaking somewhere, distant laughter.
Nio stirs first.
His eyes blink open slowly, lashes fluttering against his cheeks. It takes a moment for the pieces to come together: the unfamiliar ceiling, the weight draped over his waist, the lingering warmth across his skin.
Then he turns his head slightly - and sees Tee.
Still asleep. Still close. One arm slung possessively around Nio's waist, his face relaxed in the kind of sleep that comes only after exhaustion and comfort. His hair is tousled, lips slightly parted. Peaceful. Beautiful.
Nio doesn't move.
He watches Tee in silence, heart beating too loudly in his chest. The memories of last night return in waves - skin on skin, whispered words, that look in Tee's eyes when he asked if Nio was sure. How gentle he'd been. How careful.
And how much it had meant.
A part of Nio wants to stay in this moment forever, tucked into Tee's bed, wrapped in the calm after the storm. But another part is... scared. Not of regret - but of what comes next. What it means. What if Tee only wanted it in the heat of the moment? What if it changes everything?
He's still thinking when Tee shifts beside him, fingers tightening slightly around Nio's waist as his eyes blink open.
Tee looks at him sleepily, like it's the most natural thing in the world. His lips curve into a soft smile. "Hey."
"Morning," Nio says, voice quieter than he meant it to be.
Tee yawns, stretching a little, then rolls halfway onto his side to face him properly. His hand lifts to brush a piece of hair from Nio's forehead, his touch feather-light.
"You okay?"
Nio hesitates for a second. "Yeah. Just... thinking."
Tee studies him. "About last night?"
Nio nods.
Tee's voice softens. "I meant everything. This isn't just… something to pass time. You know that, right?"
Nio meets his gaze finally. "Do I?"
Tee scoots closer, pressing their foreheads together. "I'm not going anywhere, Nio. This is real. And I want you. All of you."
Nio's throat tightens. Something shifts in his chest - a release, maybe. A quiet relief.
"I want you too," he whispers.
Tee smiles, then kisses him - softly, tenderly. "Good," he murmurs. "Because I'm not letting go of you."
They lie there in silence for a while, wrapped up in each other, wrapped in something more than just sheets and skin. And for the first time, Nio allows himself to believe that this thing between them - it's not just a spark.
It's a flame.
And it's only just begun.