SLEEP TOGETHER
1266 Words
CHAPTER 8. SLEEP TOGETHER
The apartment was quiet, the air still scented faintly with soap and warm food.
Kaal stood by the sink, sleeves rolled to his elbows, wiping the last plate dry. “There. Done.”
Behind him came the lazy drawl of someone too at home for his own good.
“You know, I could get used to this,” Arka said from the couch, his voice muffled by a throw pillow. “Home-cooked meals, clean plates, and you.”
Kaal turned, frowning. “You’re not staying permanently.”
Arka grinned without opening his eyes. “Oh, but you said I could crash here tonight. Don’t blame me if I make myself comfortable.”
“You’re too comfortable,” Kaal muttered.
Arka cracked an eye open, the corner of his lips lifting. “What can I say? You’ve got that domestic vibe. It’s cozy here. The kind of place where people fall in love.”
Kaal froze mid-wipe. “Don’t start.”
“Why not?” Arka tilted his head. “You’re letting me sleep under the same roof. You should take responsibility.”
Kaal’s towel smacked him in the face. “Responsibility my foot.”
“Abuse!” Arka gasped dramatically, clutching his chest. “I could report you.”
“Good. Report yourself while you’re at it.”
Unbothered, Arka sat up and stretched, shirt riding just high enough to show the faint line of muscle under his ribs. “So… where’s my bed?”
Kaal sighed. “On the floor. I’ve got an extra mattress.”
Arka blinked. “Oh? We’re sleeping together?”
“Separate. Mattress. Floor.”
He sighed like a man wronged. “You’re cruel.”
Kaal ignored him and went to tidy his desk. “Keep talking, and I’ll make you sleep in the hallway.”
But Arka had already wandered into his room, taking in the tiny space — a bed, a neat desk, books stacked with military precision.
“This room screams top student,” he said, sitting on the bed. “It’s so tidy, it almost scares me.”
“Don’t touch anything.”
“Why not? I’m practically family now.”
Kaal glared. “That logic is terrifying.”
Arka smiled lazily. “Hey, this mattress isn’t bad. Wanna test it together?”
A pen case flew at his head.
He ducked, laughing. “You’ve got good aim, babe.”
“Stop calling me that!”
“I’d stop if it wasn’t so fun watching you turn red.”
Kaal inhaled sharply through his nose, counting silently to ten.
He picked up a notebook and turned his back. “I don’t know how your parents survived you.”
“Charm,” Arka said easily. “And persistence.”
When Kaal ignored him, Arka stepped closer, his voice dropping a notch lower.
“You really hate me that much?”
The question caught Kaal off guard. He turned, startled to find Arka standing close enough that he could smell the faint trace of soap on his skin.
“What— no, I don’t hate you. I just—”
Arka smiled slightly, eyes glinting. “Then why do you look away every time I get near?”
Kaal’s throat tightened. “Because you’re annoying.”
“Liar.”
The air between them grew heavier.
Arka leaned in, one hand braced on the desk beside Kaal. “When I used to bully you, you never looked this nervous. Now you do.”
Kaal swallowed. “You’re crossing the line.”
Arka tilted his head, eyes dropping to Kaal’s lips for a fleeting second.
“Then maybe I should stop pretending there’s a line.”
Kaal’s breath hitched — and then Arka kissed him.
Quick, soft, infuriatingly gentle.
Just enough to make Kaal forget to breathe.
He jerked back, face flaming. “You—!”
Arka’s grin was almost boyish. “Relax. I just wanted to test something.”
“Test what?!”
“That you like me back.”
Kaal smacked his shoulder, harder this time. “Keep dreaming!”
But his voice cracked halfway through, ruining the effect.
Arka’s grin widened. “Cute.”
“Stop talking!”
“Can’t. You’re too fun when you’re mad.”
Kaal turned his back, trying to will away the heat crawling up his neck.
Behind him, Arka’s voice softened.
“Then let’s make a deal. If I make it into the top 100, you’ll go on a date with me.”
Kaal looked over his shoulder. “And if you don’t?”
“I’ll study harder until I do.”
Kaal sighed, rubbing his temple. “You’re hopeless.”
“Hopelessly into you,” Arka replied.
Kaal almost threw his pillow again — but the look in Arka’s eyes stopped him.
For once, it wasn’t teasing. It was sincere. And that scared him more than the kiss.
⸻
Later that night, the room was dim, the only light spilling softly from the lamp on Kaal’s desk.
Kaal came out of the bathroom in loose pajamas, drying his hair with a towel.
“Your turn.”
Arka took the towel with a grin. “You’re too nice to me.”
“Don’t test my limits.”
Arka grinned. “Hey, can you pass me that shirt?” he asked, pointing toward the chair by the bed.
Kaal handed it to him through the cracked door without checking the shirt— only for Arka to catch his hand.
“Arka!”
“Come in,” Arka teased. “Let’s make this a real bonding experience.”
The door slammed instantly. “Keep dreaming!”
Arka’s laughter echoed behind the wood. “You’re blushing, aren’t you?”
“I will throw you out the window!”
When Arka disappeared into the bathroom, Kaal exhaled and sank onto his bed. His heartbeat hadn’t slowed since that stupid kiss.
He rubbed his face. “What is wrong with me…”
The door creaked open.
Kaal looked up — and nearly fell off the bed.
Arka walked out in nothing but boxers and Kaal’s T-shirt, hair damp and messy.
He looked far too good for someone who claimed to be tired.
“Arka—! What are you wearing?!”
“My pajamas?” he said innocently.
“That’s my shirt!”
“I know,” Arka said, tugging the hem playfully. “It smells like you. Helps me sleep.”
Kaal nearly combusted. “Put on your pants!”
Arka stretched, ignoring him completely. “Come on, babe. It’s just skin.”
“That’s exactly the problem!”
Arka grinned and plopped down on the floor mattress, hands behind his head. “Fine. But next time, I’m stealing your bed.”
“Over my dead body.”
Silence settled.
Only the faint hum of the city outside, the soft rhythm of two different heartbeats in one small room.
Then—
“Hey, Kaal,” Arka whispered in the dark.
“…What?”
“Your ceiling’s got a crack shaped like a heart.”
Kaal’s patience snapped. “That’s mold, you idiot.”
Arka smiled in the dark. “A heart-shaped mold. How poetic.”
Kaal groaned. “You’re impossible.”
Arka chuckled, voice low. “Good night.”
Kaal turned toward the wall, hiding the tiny, unwilling smile tugging at his lips.
“…Night, idiot.”
Across the room, Arka’s grin softened into something quieter.
“Not an i***t,” he murmured. “Just someone who really likes you.”
Kaal didn’t answer.
But his chest felt too warm to sleep.
- Writer
