THE UNWANTED ROOMMATE

Episode 3

Episode 3: Unspoken Things

A Strange Chill in the Air

The house was eerily silent except for the soft patter of rain against the windows. Meoja, wrapped in a thick blanket, sat on the couch, absentmindedly flipping through the pages of a book. His mind wasn’t on the words, though. Something about the storm outside made him uneasy.

Priyesh, sitting at the opposite end of the room with his laptop open, stole a glance at him. He noticed the way Meoja’s fingers fidgeted with the corner of the blanket, his lips slightly pursed. Clumsy, restless, and completely unaware of how much space he took up—not just physically, but in Priyesh’s mind.

“You’re unusually quiet,” Priyesh murmured, pretending to focus on his screen.

Meoja looked up, blinking as if pulled from a daydream. “Huh? Oh… I just—this storm feels weird.”

Priyesh smirked. “You scared?”

Meoja scoffed, clutching his blanket tighter. “Obviously not.”

A sudden gust of wind rattled the window, making him jump slightly. Priyesh bit back a chuckle.

“Not scared, huh?”

Meoja shot him a glare. “Shut up.”

Priyesh wanted to tease him more, but something about the way Meoja curled up made him hesitate. The air between them felt different tonight—charged, but neither of them willing to acknowledge it.

Jealousy Tastes Bitter

Before Priyesh could say anything else, Meoja’s phone buzzed. He reached for it, and the screen lit up with a name Priyesh recognized all too well. Sana.

His jaw clenched.

Meoja, oblivious to Priyesh’s sudden change in demeanor, answered the call. “Hey! Yeah, I’m just at home.”

Sana’s voice was cheerful, though Priyesh couldn’t make out the words. But he didn’t have to. He already knew she was their co-actress from the project they had worked on together—and that she had an annoying habit of being way too friendly with Meoja.

Priyesh stared at his laptop screen, but the words blurred together. Why did it bother him so much?

Meoja laughed at something Sana said, and Priyesh felt his fingers curl into a fist.

---

Clumsy Hands and Racing Hearts

Meoja was still on the phone with Sana, his voice carrying through the quiet living room. Priyesh’s patience was thinning with every passing second. He wasn’t even listening to the conversation, but every time Meoja chuckled or let out one of those carefree giggles, Priyesh’s grip on his laptop tightened.

“Yeah, yeah! Next time we should totally go together,” Meoja said, twirling the cord of his hoodie between his fingers. “Oh, Priyesh? Nah, he’s just sitting here doing something boring as usual.”

Priyesh’s eyebrow twitched. Boring?

Meoja turned, still laughing, and caught sight of the way Priyesh was glaring at him. His smile faltered. “Uh—yeah, okay, Sana. I’ll text you later!” He quickly ended the call, clearing his throat.

Priyesh didn’t say anything. He didn’t need to. The tension in the room was thick enough already.

Meoja awkwardly scratched the back of his head. “What?”

“Nothing.”

“You’re looking at me like I did something wrong.”

Priyesh exhaled through his nose, shaking his head. “I don’t care who you talk to.”

Meoja frowned. “I never said you did…”

He shifted, moving to stand up—but as always, his clumsy nature got the best of him. His foot caught on the edge of the blanket, and before he could react, he was tumbling forward—right into Priyesh.

Priyesh barely had time to process what was happening before Meoja crashed into his lap. Their faces were inches apart, Meoja’s hands gripping Priyesh’s shoulders for balance.

For a second, neither of them moved.

Meoja’s breath hitched. Priyesh’s eyes flickered down to his lips—just for a moment, just long enough for Meoja to notice.

The rain outside thundered against the windows, mirroring the pounding of their hearts.

“S-Sorry!” Meoja stammered, scrambling to push himself off, but in his panic, he only made things worse—his knee slipped, and the next thing he knew, his nose brushed against Priyesh’s cheek.

A sharp inhale. A pause that stretched too long.

Priyesh’s hands instinctively settled on Meoja’s waist, steadying him. It wasn’t meant to be intimate—it was supposed to be practical. But Meoja’s entire body went stiff.

“Are you always this clumsy?” Priyesh muttered, his voice lower than usual.

Meoja swallowed hard, cheeks burning. “Shut up.”

His voice lacked any real bite.

He finally managed to untangle himself, tumbling off Priyesh and back onto the couch, covering his face with his hands.

Priyesh, on the other hand, just sat there—staring at his laptop as if he hadn’t just almost kissed the person he’d been secretly crushing on for months.

Storms Outside, Storms Inside

Meoja didn’t bring it up. Priyesh didn’t either. But the air between them was different now—thicker, heavier.

The storm outside grew louder, wind howling against the house. A loud c***k! of thunder made Meoja flinch, gripping his blanket tighter.

Priyesh noticed.

“You sure you’re not scared?” he asked, voice teasing.

Meoja shot him a glare. “I told you, I’m not!”

Another crash of thunder. This time, the power flickered—then went out completely.

The room was plunged into darkness.

Meoja sucked in a breath. “Oh, great.”

Priyesh stood up, stretching. “I’ll go check the fuse box.”

“You can do that?”

Priyesh smirked. “What, you thought I was just a pretty face?”

Meoja rolled his eyes, but his racing heart had nothing to do with the storm anymore.

-

Trapped in the Dark

Priyesh disappeared down the hallway, leaving Meoja alone in the pitch-black living room. The wind outside howled, shaking the windows, and he swore he heard something creak inside the house.

He pulled his blanket up to his chin, mumbling to himself, “Not scared. Definitely not scared.”

Another sound—this time closer. A soft thud from the hallway.

Meoja’s breath hitched. “Priyesh?”

No response.

His fingers tightened around the fabric of his blanket. He didn’t want to admit it, but his mind was already racing with irrational thoughts. What if the house really was haunted?

Just as he was about to call out again, a cold hand grabbed his wrist.

Meoja let out a very undignified yelp, jerking back—only to hear a deep chuckle.

“Relax,” Priyesh’s voice drawled in the darkness. “It’s just me.”

Meoja clutched his chest, breathing hard. “WHAT THE HELL, PRIYESH?!”

The glow of a flashlight flickered on, illuminating Priyesh’s face. He looked far too amused.

Meoja glared at him. “You think that’s funny?”

“A little.”

“I could’ve died.”

“From what? Your own scream?”

Meoja threw a pillow at him. Priyesh dodged it effortlessly, smirking. “Come on, the power’s out for now. Let’s just deal with it.”

Unspoken Tension

They ended up sitting together on the couch, the dim glow of the flashlight casting flickering shadows across the walls. The storm hadn’t let up—it was as if the universe itself was trying to trap them in this moment.

Meoja pulled his knees up to his chest, frowning. “How long do you think the power will be out?”

Priyesh leaned back, arms crossed. “Not sure. Could be hours.”

Meoja groaned. “Ugh. I hate this.”

Priyesh turned his head slightly, watching him. “Why?”

Meoja hesitated before mumbling, “The dark feels… weird.”

“Weird how?”

Meoja shrugged. “I don’t know. Like things feel… different.”

Priyesh’s fingers twitched. They were different.

He wanted to say something—anything. But the words wouldn’t come out.

Instead, he reached for the blanket draped over Meoja’s shoulders and tugged it slightly. “Move over.”

Meoja blinked at him. “What?”

“You’re hogging the blanket.”

“I—I got it first!”

Priyesh rolled his eyes, but before Meoja could argue further, Priyesh simply lifted the blanket and slid underneath it with him.

Meoja stiffened.

His body was too aware of Priyesh’s closeness. The warmth of his skin, the faint scent of his cologne.

Priyesh, on the other hand, acted like nothing was unusual. “Better,” he murmured, settling in.

Meoja swallowed hard. “Y-you could’ve just gotten another blanket…”

“This one’s warmer.”

Liar.

An Almost Confession

Minutes passed in silence. The rain continued, their only source of light flickering slightly.

Meoja stole a glance at Priyesh—his sharp features softened by the glow, his expression unreadable.

Something about the moment felt too fragile, too intimate.

Meoja licked his lips. “Hey… Priyesh?”

“Hm?”

For some reason, his heartbeat picked up. “Why are you always looking out for me?”

Priyesh’s fingers twitched under the blanket. He didn’t answer immediately.

“…Who else would?”

Meoja frowned. “That’s not an answer.”

Priyesh exhaled slowly. He knew he was walking a thin line.

The truth was—he cared too much. More than he should. More than he could ever say out loud.

He turned his head slightly, meeting Meoja’s gaze. Their faces were too close.

If he leaned in just a little—

A sudden crash of thunder made Meoja jump again, breaking the moment.

Priyesh clenched his jaw. Of course.

Meoja, flustered, quickly looked away. “T-the storm is really bad, huh?”

Priyesh let out a quiet sigh, rubbing the bridge of his nose. “…Yeah.”

The moment was gone.

Something Had Changed

They didn’t talk much after that. The storm raged on, but eventually, exhaustion got the best of them.

Meoja fell asleep first, his head slowly tipping over—until it landed against Priyesh’s shoulder.

Priyesh stiffened.

His entire body was on high alert, but Meoja’s breathing was soft, steady. Completely unguarded.

Priyesh swallowed.

He could push him off. He could wake him up.

But instead… he stayed still.

Letting Meoja rest against him.

Letting himself have this one moment.

Even if Meoja never realized it…

Priyesh had already fallen.

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