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“Does this mean I’ll have feelings for you?”
Pete’s words from earlier kept replaying in Niran’s head as he tidied the room while Pete showered. The day had been exhausting, and all he wanted to do was crawl into bed. Yet something told him he’d have trouble sleeping tonight, especially after binding his soul to Pete’s. He still didn’t know what had prompted him to do that; it was nothing like him to be so reckless. But in that moment, he had been desperate.
The bathroom door opening pulled Niran from his thoughts. Almost immediately, the bedroom filled with the scent of sandalwood and white musk.
“Oh, are you taking it off?”
Pete's voice made Niran look up. It took him a second to realize what Pete meant before he glanced down at his hands. At some point, he'd peeled away the tape dividing the bedroom in half.
“Yeah,” Niran recovered quickly. “I think we're past fighting over a room. And it's obvious you aren't going to pick another one.” He crumpled the strip of tape into a ball.
He turned to say something else. Then immediately wished he hadn't.
Pete sat on the bed with his damp hair still dripping onto his shoulders, his face scrubbed clean of the day's exhaustion. A faint pink dusted his cheeks from the hot shower, and he wore a pair of pink My Melody pajamas.
Pajama shorts.
Niran's brain short-circuited.
Pete looked up at him, completely oblivious. “You're the one refusing to pick another room,” he retorted before letting out a sigh. He leaned back on his hands, one knee bent lazily. “What's the big deal about sharing a room? We're already sharing our souls, right?”
Niran heard every word, but unfortunately, his brain had stopped processing language somewhere around ‘My Melody pajama shorts’.
Noticing Niran’s stare, Pete flushed a little, looking down embarrassedly. “I forgot to throw in a load of laundry; I had to go through my sister’s pajamas.”
Silence settled between them. Niran swallowed hard, the sound loud in the quiet room.
“I’m not judging. It’s better than going to sleep naked,” Niran shrugged. And he wasn’t lying. Those pajamas were going to be the death of him, but he still wanted nothing more than to rip them off of Pete’s body.
A few beats later, Pete spoke again. “Thank you for saving me, though," he said softly. "If it weren’t for you, the demon would have already taken over my body.”
Niran scoffed, a little embarrassed. “Save your gratitude for later. This may be the biggest mistake you and I have ever made.”
Leaning forward slightly, Pete’s eyes slowly lifted again to meet Niran’s. “Why? Do you regret it?”
Niran was almost certain that Pete knew exactly what he was doing, but he decided to answer anyways. “No. I don’t think that. I...”
It was tough for Niran to find the correct words. There was so much to say, yet he couldn’t bring himself to say anything coherent. The pajamas weren’t helpful at all. It took everything in Niran not to stare at Pete’s thighs. Pete waited patiently for Niran to continue, but the silence and expectance only made Niran more nervous. “You jerk…don’t take it the wrong way,” he finally said, unable to continue his sentence from earlier.
A teasing chuckle came out of Pete in response as he wiped his still damp face with a towel. “Alright, forget it.”
Panicked, Niran tried again, afraid that Pete had misunderstood or worse, gotten upset. “I don’t think that what I did was a mistake. I was- I was just trying to-”
This time he was taken aback by Pete, who had suddenly got up and set both his hands on each of Niran’s shoulders. Niran gulped, panicking internally. He couldn’t remember the last time he had been this flustered. In fact, he wasn’t sure if he had ever been flustered.
“You don’t have to explain. I get it,” Pete spoke softly again. With that sweet voice, Niran was sure he would die and take Pete out with him. “I can tell from the look in your eyes. You would never hurt me.”
Niran was relieved that was the only thing Pete noticed in his eyes. As soon as Pete’s hands dropped from Niran’s shoulders, he let out a breath he didn’t even realize he was holding. He scoffed, acting nonchalant. “You trust people too easily, you know?”
Pete sat down on the bed, legs stretched out again. “Well,” he smirked suggestively. “I don’t trust just anyone.”
A groan nearly slipped through Niran’s lips. If he wasn’t hard earlier, he definitely was now.
“Anyway, the room looks so much better now without the ugly tape,” Pete smiled, examining the room.
“Yeah, definitely,” Niran replied, throwing the crumpled tape into Pete’s thighs and turning around to set the floor so he could sleep. But really, how was he going to fall asleep with this man next to him?
Niran was just spreading the sheets on the floor when he jolted upon hearing a loud screech of wood against floor. He turned around at the sight of Pete pushing the bed closer toward the wall.
“What are you doing?” Niran asked carefully, holding a pillow in his hands.
Pete dusted his hands, as if he’d done much more than just push the bed an inch or two. “Pushing the bed against the wall so we don’t fall off in our sleep?” he said like it was obvious.
“Our sleep?”
Crossing his arms, he turned around and looked at Niran. “I’m not going to sleep alone after what happened last night with the demon. You have to protect me,” he said matter-of-factly.
“You’re fucking with me,” Niran laughed sarcastically. Then, when he realized Pete was being serious, shook his head frantically. “There is no way we’re sharing a bed, especially with you in those silly pink pajamas.”
-
5 minutes later, Niran found himself in bed. With Pete. In his not-so-silly pink pajamas.
They both lay in silence on their backs, eyes closed. The chill air was not enough to help Niran ignore the warmth radiating from Pete’s body. At this rate, he would literally melt.
“So...” Pete spoke, causing Niran’s eyes to immediately shoot open. “Does this mean we’re sharing a life now?”
Niran swallowed before he let out a weak ‘yes’.
“Our lives? Our fates?”
“Mhm.”
Silence for another few seconds.
“So that leaves…your money-” Pete began but was cut off by an immediate ‘no’ from Niran. “Jerk,” Pete exhaled. “You didn’t even give me a chance to speak.”
They both laughed softly. “Don’t be smart with me,” Niran joked. Little did Pete know that Niran would give him everything he wanted.
-
They both lay awake for what felt like hours. Niran stared blankly at the ceiling, silently cursing himself for ever agreeing to this. The bed was barely big enough for the two of them, leaving only a sliver of space between their bodies. Every small shift Pete made rippled through the mattress, the movement impossible to ignore. His breathing was slow and steady now, carrying with it the lingering scent of sandalwood and white musk. Niran squeezed his eyes shut. ‘This was a terrible idea,’ he thought.
Pete let out a quiet sigh. “Are you still awake?”
Niran's eyes fluttered open again. For a moment, he considered pretending to be asleep. It would've been easier than admitting that sleep hadn't even come close to finding him. But after a beat of silence, he gave up on the idea.
“No,” he lied.
Pete scoffed, turning to his side to get a good look at Niran, who tensed again at the sudden movement. Niran’s eyes widened slightly; he could feel Pete’s hot breath on his neck.
“Really? You sleep with your eyes open?” Pete asked sarcastically.
“Jerk,” Niran rolled his eyes, then turned his back to Pete, who was laughing.
“Good night, Niran.”
The room fell quiet again.
This time, neither of them spoke. The occasional chirp of crickets drifted in through the open window, accompanied by the steady hum of the ceiling fan. Niran focused on the rhythmic sound, willing his mind to empty. Beside him, Pete's breathing gradually evened out, each slow exhale longer than the last.
‘He’s finally asleep,’ Niran let out an exhale of relief.
Somehow, knowing Pete had drifted off made it easier to relax. His shoulders loosened, and the tension he'd been carrying since climbing into bed slowly ebbed away. His eyelids grew heavier. Before he knew it, sleep claimed him too.
-
Niran wasn’t sure how much time had passed when something jerked him awake. Beside him, Pete shifted restlessly, his breathing uneven. His brows were drawn together, his fingers twisting tightly in the blanket as though he were trying to hold on to something.
"No…," Pete whispered, barely audible.
“Shit,” Niran cursed quietly. Should he wake him? Should he comfort him? Was it okay for him to touch him?
Before he could overthink much, he placed a careful hand over Pete’s own, rubbing his thumb in soothing circles. Slowly, Pete’s grip on the blanket loosened, and his breathing became more stable. He awoke with a quiet gasp.
Concerned, Niran’s grip on Pete’s hand only tightened. “What happened?”
Pete sat up, swallowing hard. He was sweating, but at least he had calmed down. “Nothing…” he spoke quietly, shaking his head. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to wake you up.”
“Pete,” Niran warned. There would be no lying to him. “You were shaking. What happened?”
It was obvious Pete wouldn’t be let off the hook; he didn’t even have the energy to lie. “Nightmare,” he said simply. After a few seconds of silence, he realized Niran was still expecting more. Pete sighed softly. “Nothing new. It was just worse tonight after everything that happened with the demon. After I hurt…my friends,” his voice was barely audible at the last part.
Niran was at a loss for words. He never had to comfort anyone. He never really cared enough to try much. “But…” he began. “You didn’t choose to hurt your friends.”
“Yeah, well, I still did,” Pete replied somewhat sourly. It made Niran flinch slightly. “Sorry,” Pete apologized immediately. “I’m just- I know that they know I didn’t mean it. I just need some time.”
Neither of them could make eye contact. Niran couldn’t really argue with what Pete had said. Lifting a hand hesitantly, Niran brushed Pete’s hair away from his face, then tilted his chin so that he was looking at him. “It’s going to be okay. It won’t happen again, not on my watch,” he reassured Pete, who was pouting.
Pete nodded in response then, flustered, looked down and realized Niran was still holding onto his hand. Now it was Niran who was flustered and began to pull away when Pete held on tighter. “Can we stay like this just for a while?” he finally looked at Niran, eyes glossy. “It helps.”
Niran froze. Pete's fingers weren't gripping his hand tightly. If anything, they barely held on at all, as though giving him every opportunity to pull away if he wanted to.
“Okay,” Niran said quietly, nodding.
The corners of Pete's shoulders seemed to relax almost instantly. He let out a slow breath and settled back against the pillow, still facing Niran.
Neither of them spoke. Their hands remained loosely intertwined between them, warm beneath the blanket. Niran found himself staring at them for a moment before forcing his gaze elsewhere. He'd never thought something so simple could make his pulse race. Pete, on the other hand, looked calmer than he had all night.
“Thank you,” Pete mumbled, voice heavy with sleep. His eyes were half-closed now.
“For what?” Niran asked but got no answer. He moved his gaze to Pete only to find that sleep had taken over him again.
Niran didn’t let go of Pete’s hand that night.
-
When Niran woke up the next morning, the bed was surprisingly empty. His heart immediately sank, assuming the worst.
He rubbed his eyes, getting up but not bothering to put his house slippers on. The room was quiet, almost unnaturally so. Pete’s things were still there; his My Melody pajamas scattered carelessly over the chair.
Niran stepped out of the room, his eyes scanning the hallway. He was about to call out Pete’s name when he noticed the faint sound of movement coming from outside. Following it, he found Pete balancing himself on one leg, eyes closed as he slowly breathed in and out.
The morning air was cool and peaceful, and Pete’s hair moved slightly with the breeze. Niran didn’t realize how long he had been staring until Pete opened one eye. “Are you going to keep staring at me?”
Niran immediately straightened. “I wasn’t staring,” he said a bit too defensively.
“Mhm,” Pete hummed playfully, opening his other eye and putting his leg down. He reached for a bottle of water and took a sip. Niran tried not to look at the way Pete’s Adam’s apple moved.
Niran cleared his throat. “I was wondering why you weren’t in bed.”
Pete stretched his arms above his head. A sliver of his stomach peeked through his shirt. “Thought I’d make use of the morning since I couldn’t sleep anymore.”
Nodding like that was all he cared about, Niran replied before he could stop himself. “You could’ve woken me.”
“Why?” Pete tilted his head. “You looked comfortable.”
Something about the way he said it made Niran pause. Pete walked past him, completely unaware of the effect his words had on Niran. “Come on. I’m hungry,” he called out when he realized Niran didn’t follow.
Although he was used to Pete’s teasing by now, Niran had a feeling their dynamic has shifted slightly ever since their souls were bound.
-
The day passed by excruciatingly slow and uneventful. After they had breakfast, Niran and Pete headed out to train and run some errands. By the afternoon, Niran had lost track of how many times Pete had complained about being too tired and hungry. And by the time they ate and finally headed home, both of them were physically exhausted.
The drive back at night was quiet. The streets had grown darker, the occasional streetlight sweeping across the inside of the car as they passed. Pete sat in the passenger seat, his head resting against the window, while Niran kept his eyes on the road. For the first time all day, there was nothing they needed to do.
The silence somehow made Niran much more aware of the person sitting beside him. Any movement from Pete had Niran on edge. When Pete finally spoke, Niran startled.
“Do you think the soul bounding is affecting us?” he asked randomly. Niran didn’t know what he was expecting, but it definitely wasn’t this. It took him a few seconds before he could think of what to say.
“Affect us how? I’m still me, and you’re still you.”
“That’s not what I’m talking about,” Pete spoke again in response. “I mean, do you think it’s changing our relationship with each other?”
Niran struggled to swallow the lump in his throat, heat rising up his neck. “I think you’re too sleepy. You don’t know what you’re talking about.”
Pete huffed out a laugh and shook his head. “Yeah, I guess so.”
Pete rested his head against the window again, closing his eyes this time. They didn’t share a single word for the rest of the ride.
-
Once they made it home, Pete went in for a shower first. By the time Niran was done with his own shower, Pete was fast asleep on the bed with no blanket on. To Niran’s surprise and his luck (if this was even considered lucky), Pete was in another pair of My Melody pajamas. They fit him surprisingly well considering they were his sister’s clothes; Niran was starting to think the pajamas actually belonged to Pete.
He tried not to look at Pete’s bare legs. The pajama shorts were even shorter than the previous ones, and it didn’t help that they were riding up his thighs in his sleep. He moved to his mattress quietly, caring not to wake Pete up. It took everything in him not to look at Pete’s thighs again…so smooth and white and-
Niran shook his head; he needed to get a grip. He gently pulled a blanket over Pete, being careful not to accidentally touch his body, then turned off the room lights and turned on the bedside lamp. After getting under the covers on his mattress, he closed his eyes and fell asleep almost immediately.
-
It was nearly 4 am when Niran stirred awake. Confused, he rubbed his eyes, trying to adjust to the light before he realized the source of his sleep disruption. There was a heavy weight on his chest. Did something fall on him?
“Owh-” someone grunted. It took Niran a few more seconds to realize that it was not something heavy on his chest, it was someone. And that someone was Pete.
“Sorry,” Pete rasped in pain.
Niran froze, still processing what was happening.
The way Pete was splayed across him left Niran completely still. They were chest to chest, close enough that Niran could feel the warmth of every breath against his skin. Pete’s weight pressed into him, a few strands of his hair brushing softly against Niran’s neck. For a moment, Niran forgot how to breathe.
Pete shifted, apparently realizing where he was.
“Wait-” Niran began, trying to sit up in time.
Pete pushed himself up, but in his half-awake state, his hand slipped against the mattress. He caught himself at the last second, only to end up straddling Niran instead. Pete was sitting directly over him, his hands braced on either side of Niran’s shoulders, their faces suddenly far too close for either of them to pretend this was normal.
Niran’s eyes widened. Neither of them moved. It was at this point Niran realized the blanket that he had covered himself with had slipped off mid-sleep. The only barrier between them was their clothes.
Pete shifted, seemingly determined to get off him, but the sudden movement made Niran react before he could think. His hands came up to steady Pete, fingers curling around his bare thighs. Pete reacted by unconsciously squeezing his thighs around Niran’s hips, causing the latter to let out a groan of his own.
“Sorry,” Pete apologized for the second time. But this time he made no move to get up. Especially after the realization that Niran was hardening below him.
Looking up at Pete, Niran finally spoke, somewhat painfully. “Those pajamas aren’t your sister’s, are they?”
Pete wasn’t expecting that. He let out a chuckle. “No,” he boldly brought his face an inch closer to Niran’s. He would have felt embarrassed about being caught like that, but it didn’t seem like Niran was judging him. Quite the opposite actually, if the hardness beneath him wasn’t evidence enough, it was the way Niran still had his fingers gripped onto Pete’s thighs. “You like them?” he whispered, a newfound confidence taking over him.
Heat spread up Niran’s neck. He was surely still asleep, dreaming this beautiful dream that he hoped he would never awake from.
“Pete-” he tried to speak but groaned again when Pete shifted on his lap. His hands tightened around Pete’s thighs again.
“Shh,” Pete brought his hands up from Niran’s shoulders and wrapped them around his neck instead, pulling him even closer. He looked down into Niran’s eyes. “Can we just have this?” he whispered. And maybe it was the soul bond that made it impossible for Niran to deny him, or maybe it was simply his pure feelings from the start.
Before he could stop himself, Niran brought a hand up to Pete’s lower back, gently pulling him in even closer. Pete let out a small, unexpected gasp, bringing a hand up over his mouth.
“If you’re serious, then…” Niran began, bending slightly forward so that his head rested right under Pete’s chin. He reached and grabbed the hand covering Pete’s mouth and brought it down, holding it gently against Pete’s back.
He pulled his face away slightly, tilting his head up and locking eyes with Pete, who was looking down at him with glossy eyes. “Don’t cover your mouth,” Niran breathed against Pete’s throat before leaning in again, planting his lips on Pete’s mole that sat right below his Adam’s apple. Pete’s thighs tightened once again around Niran’s hips, which just egged him on even more. He gave a tiny, experimental nibble on Pete’s throat, earning himself another gasp from the latter.
“Niran-”, Pete whined, trying to release his arm from Niran’s grip, who in response only tightened his fingers around Pete’s wrist more. Niran slowly began to trace his kisses higher, the sound so wet it took everything in Pete not to let out a moan. He threw his head back to give Niran more access, who took advantage of the situation and went up to Pete’s jaw, leaving another trail of slow, wet kisses.
When Niran reached the spot behind and under Pete’s ear, Pete couldn’t help but let out a groan. “Fuuck...”
It was the first time Niran didn’t tell him off for cussing.
Pete had reached his limit and couldn’t take much teasing anymore. He pulled away, leaving Niran confused for only a few seconds until Pete pulled him back in by the back of his head and crashed his lips against Niran’s.
Contradicting to the situation they were in, the kiss was slow and sweet, as if they were savoring each other. When Pete licked into Niran’s mouth, he let out a groan into the kiss, like he’d been waiting for this moment for ages.
Before he could stop himself, Pete pushed down onto Niran in desperation. Niran’s hands fell onto Pete’s thighs again, urging him to continue and helping him with his movements against Niran’s bulge.
They both pulled away from the kiss, panting for air. Pete’s lips were pink and slightly swollen. Niran was tempted to lean back in, already craving Pete’s taste again. Instead, he brought his thumb up to swipe at the wetness that dripped from Pete’s lips, who instinctively opened his mouth up.
Niran let out a soft scoff and smirked. “If I had just known that you wanted this too…”
Pete opened his mouth to let out a snarky response but let out a whimper in surprise when Niran snaked his hand under Pete’s shirt and pulled him in even closer by the waist. He guided Pete’s hips against his even harder now, occasionally thrusting his own hips upwards too in desperate need of more friction.
Leaning in again, Niran began to kiss Pete’s neck, taking advantage of when he had thrown his head back in pleasure. Pete’s moans began to get louder and more desperate, his movements starting to falter.
Niran pulled away, gazing up at Pete with dark eyes. He positioned his hands so he could properly lift Pete up with him.
“What-” Pete yelped, holding onto Niran’s neck and wrapping his legs around Pete’s waist.
Niran didn’t bother to reply, instead he kissed Pete’s lips again, this time with much more desperation and vigor. He walked until he could push Pete against the wall, earning himself a gasp. Niran took the opportunity to kiss him harder and lick into him. He began to grind into Pete again, this time at a better angle that had them both moaning like they didn’t care who heard.
Finally, Niran let Pete down, who could barely hold himself up on his two legs. Pete’s eyes widened when Niran got down onto his knees in front of him and began to kiss the area above his knee. “Niran…what are you doing?” Pete spoke breathlessly, holding onto Niran’s shoulders.
“Please?” Niran pulled away to look up at Pete. “Can I?”
Pete bit his bottom lip and nodded, and Niran wasted no time before diving in again to leave wet kisses higher up Pete’s thighs, his shorts riding up. Niran was getting dangerously close to where Pete wanted him the most. His embarrassment wasn’t enough to stop Niran from getting too close to his inner thighs. “God, your thighs are perfect,” Niran mumbled into Pete’s inner thigh, the vibration causing a whimper to escape through his lips.
Niran’s finger played with the hem of Pete’s shorts, as if waiting to see if Pete would stop him, waiting to see if Pete still wanted this just as much as he did. When Pete didn’t stop him, he pulled down completely, leaving Pete bare in front of him, who let out a deep exhale in anticipation. Niran began slow, stroking Pete with so much gentleness like he was worried that Pete would still choose to back out at any moment.
“Niran,” Pete whined, unable to handle the teasing anymore. “I can’t wait any more.”
That was the reassurance Niran needed. He glided his thumb over the tip, spreading the wetness, before he leaned in and sucked on the tip, occasionally using his tongue to lick up and down the base.
Pete was a mess above him; he held onto Niran’s hair a little too tight, his hair was messy and sweat trailed down his forehead and neck. “Fuck, oh god,” he moaned as he felt himself near his climax.
Using his other hand, Niran reached into his own pants and began to stroke himself too, unable to handle the ache. He was getting close embarrassingly fast too, the sound of Pete’s moans and whimpers enough to tip him over.
They both let out moans as they released together, Niran onto his own hand and Pete mostly into Niran’s mouth.
Panting and out of breath, they remained like that for a while before they calmed down. Niran looked up at Pete, who looked down at him and for once had nothing to say, the blush across his cheeks the only indication that he was embarrassed after what had happened.
Niran stood up, leaning forward and resting his head on Pete’s shoulder for a few seconds. Niran brought a hand up to feel Pete’s heart rate, somewhat satisfied to discover that Pete’s heart was racing just as much as his own.
“Let’s go and wash up, yeah?” Niran spoke softly, and when Pete nodded, Niran let him have some privacy to clean up on his own while Niran used the spare bathroom.
-
“So…” Pete began when he walked back into the room and found Niran sitting on the bed staring out the window. Pete had changed into regular plain pajamas this time, unfortunately for Niran. Or maybe it was better for now.
Niran cleared his throat. “Listen I-”
“I like you,” Pete interrupted before Niran could say something that would upset him. “And it’s not just because of the soul bond, Niran. I really, really like you. And I wish I had told you sooner, because I don’t want you to misunderstand.”
Niran smiled, stopping Pete from rambling anymore. He stood up, walking over to Pete and grabbing one of his hands. He looked down, looking at their wrists brought close together, imagining the bond tying them together.
“I like you too, Pete. I should’ve told you sooner, way before our souls were tied together,” he reassured Pete. “Is it too late for me to ask you out on a proper date? Maybe after everything settles, with the training and yao and the demon…”
Pete let out an exhale and smiled too. “Yeah, that sounds nice.”
“Oh, I do have a favor to ask though,” Niran started when Pete began to walk towards the bed.
“Wear those My Melody pajamas more often for me, yeah?”