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Bran
I’m not entirely sure how I ended up here on the same couch as Niko, somewhere inside the Heathens’ mansion, a little drunk and very aware of his present.
Luckily, Mia is squeezed right in the middle, completely unbothered by the tension. Or maybe it’s only tension on my side.
I’m not even sure Niko realizes I’m in the same room, just a few feet away. If he does, he doesn’t show it. He’s still glaring. His eyes are sharp, almost murderous, still riding whatever high he’s been on the whole evening.
I try to focus on Jeremy and Cecely sitting across from us. I think they’re talking about some childhood memories. But their voices blend into the background noise.
How did I end up in this situation?
I didn’t even want to come to Mia’s birthday party. She practically begged me until I gave in. And maybe I also thought it would be a good excuse to see Niko again and talk to him.
But from the moment I saw him tonight, I knew something was off. I could see it in his eyes and in the way his whole posture was closed off. And worst of all, he pretended like he didn’t know me.
He plays the part so well that I’m not even sure if it’s still an act. I think I caught something in his eyes when he first noticed me earlier, but it disappeared so quickly that I can’t even be sure what I saw.
Than Lan showed up and fucked shit up. As always. Luckily, he left after his show and the party went on.
I think after Niko accidentally punched me in the face, he even ignored me harder.
So I drank. Tried to have fun with the others, tried to laugh along, but I couldn’t keep my eyes off him.
He never once left Mia’s side or his friends’. I thought maybe I could catch him outside when he went for a smoke, but he never did.
I was talking to Cecily, and since we were both exhausted, we ended up in this room. Her boyfriend showed up almost immediately with Mia and Niko right behind him.
So this is how I end up on a couch next to my secret boyfriend — who has been ghosting me for over a week — and his sister, who just announced she’s going to get us more drinks.
As she leaves, I expect Niko to follow, but he stays planted in his corner of the couch. With Mia gone, nothing separates us anymore except a small stretch of space.
It’s the first time today I see him up close. He looks pale and exhausted. His eyes, darker than usual, seem almost bottomless, ringed with shadows like he hasn’t slept in days.
If I weren’t so drunk, I probably wouldn’t be staring at him this openly when everyone can see us.
I force myself to look away, trying to focus on Jeremy and Cecile again, but they’re gone too. Did they leave with Mia?
Great. Now this situation just got even worse.
I turn back to Niko, not sure how else to distract myself until Mia comes back and immediately meet his eyes. He’s not glaring this time. For a split second, I think he’s back to himself and might start flirting with me like he always does.
“What are you looking at, King?” he snaps.
…Or not.
Anger flares up inside me. First, he ghosts me, and now he’s being an asshole.
“What the fuck is wrong with you, Niko?” I shoot back, sitting up straight. I’m drunk and angry, and he has been pissing me off for too long now. “I get that you’re going through something, but that doesn’t give you the right to treat me like this, asshole.”
“What did you just call me?” he slurs the words a little, clearly drunk, and straightens as well and moves closer, towering over me, the glare back in full force. I can smell the alcohol on his breath. He’s probably even more drunk than I am.
But there’s something else in his eyes, too. He looks me up and down, and for a moment I think he’s going to kiss me. I hope he kisses me. I don’t care who sees us. Then it disappears again.
“You heard me,” I say, trying to sound calmer than I feel. I have to remind myself that I am a King, and I’m in control and don’t lose my temper like this. But Niko always had the talent to break down all the walls I had built.
He’s so close now I can feel the heat of his breath against my skin. “You’re being an asshole, and you don’t get to be one in front of me. I don’t know what’s going on with you, but I’m not going to accept this.”
He just stares at me, confusion flickering in his eyes. I think they soften for a moment, a faint brightness returning that wasn’t there a few minutes ago.
He moves closer, towering over me. I think he wants to intimidate me. I can see every detail of his face. Loose strands of hair have fallen into his eyes, and I’m not sure if I want to brush them away or pull his ponytail loose just to run my fingers through all of it.
My heart is racing. Has it always been this fast?
He is so close. His breath is warm against my skin. When did he move this close? His eyes lock onto mine, then flick down to my lips for a split second.
Then the moment is over, and he glares again murderously. I am sure he is gonna hit me.
“You little shit…” he starts, but stops when my hand lifts on autopilot, brushing the hair out of his eyes. Our gazes connect. Suddenly, everything else stops. I don’t care where we are and if he is mad at me or if I’m mad at him.
“Did you sleep last night?” I ask softly. Everything else suddenly feels unimportant.
He stares at me and blinks - once, twice - his eyes still dark but no longer empty. There’s a faint shimmer there now, and for the first time tonight, I feel like he actually sees me.
“No… not really,” he whispers. “I can’t.”
“Because you are not sleeping in the same bed as me.” The words come out bold, but he once told me he sleeps best when he’s with me.
His eyes never leave mine. My fingers drift into his hair, and he leans into my touch like a cat being petted.
Then he lowers his head, pressing his face into my hoodie, wrapping an arm around my waist. I feel him take a deep breath, like he’s memorizing my smell, and his whole body slowly relaxes. My hand finds its rhythm in his hair again.
It takes less than two minutes before his breathing evens out.
And just like that, he’s asleep in my lap like a baby.
I should probably care. Anyone could walk in and see us like this. But whether it’s the alcohol, Nikos presents, or the simple fact that I don’t have the energy left to worry anymore about your relationship… I don’t find it in me to care.
My eyes grow heavy, the warmth of him against me pulling me under, and I slowly drift off, too. Somewhere in the distance, I can tell the party has started to wind down, though faint music still hums through the house.
I just hope someone closes the door and lets us have this small pocket of peace.
Even if it’s only for tonight.
Jeremy
Drinks in hand, Cecily and I head back, ready to reclaim our couch. We lost Mia somewhere in the kitchen. Honestly, I think she was happy to get a little space from her brother.
Niko has been a mess lately. As much as I love him, he’s spiraling. The smoking, the fights, and the violence, none of it is doing him any good. It’s been over a week now. Especially the sleep deprivation. We’ve tried everything: cold plunges, tea, pills. Nothing seems to help.
Speaking of that asshole… maybe we can kick him out of the room along with the King so Cecily and I can finally get some alone time.
Oh god. Did we really leave an unstable, drunk Niko alone with Landon King’s twin brother? The guy he punched a few hours ago. Maybe that was not the smartest decision of the night.
I almost walk straight into my girlfriend, who has stopped dead in the doorway. Every instinct in me snaps to attention, ready to react to whatever could have made her freeze like that.
But the scene in front of us is the last thing I ever expected to see.
Brandon King is safe and asleep on my couch, and my best friend’s head is resting in his lap. Brandon's fingers tangled in his hair like he had been stroking it for a while. And Niko — the guy who usually passes out in a chair or on the stairs — is curled up against him, sound asleep, looking like an enormous baby.
He’s actually sleeping. On a couch. Not a bed, but close enough. And in the arms of his enemy’s brother, of all people.
I blink, trying to make sense of it, and when I look at my girlfriend, she’s smiling at the scene, completely unconcerned. Like she knows something I don’t.
I slide an arm around her shoulders and gently guide her back out of the room. Whatever this is, I really hope Niko has a good explanation.
Tomorrow.
Tonight, I’ll let him sleep.
Before I close the door, I pull out my phone and snap a quick picture. No one would ever believe me otherwise.
And honestly… I might need the blackmail material someday.
Niko
I’m not sure what woke me up. Hell, I’m not even sure where I am. There’s faint music somewhere in the distance, mixed with the sound of laughter, but it feels far away. And honestly… I don’t care.
I feel warm. Safe. Comfortable in a way I can’t remember feeling in a long time. All I want to do is sink back into sleep. My mind wanders back to the last time I felt like this, and then it hits me. It was in the arms of my Lotus Flower.
And speaking of my Lotus Flower… it almost feels like I can smell him. The cushion beneath my head feels suspiciously like his lap. I shift slightly, turning my head.
Yeah. Definitely a lap.
As my eyes adjust, I look up and my heart stutters when I see the face that belongs to my cushion. It’s my Lotus Flower, fast asleep.
Memories from last night (or maybe earlier tonight) come rushing back, and I feel like my chest might burst with how fast my heart is beating now.
Carefully, I try to sit up without waking Bran, but he stirs anyway. His eyes flutter open, confused, blinking slowly as he looks at me, lips parting like he’s about to speak.
I lean forward and gently kiss him on the lips.
“Shhh,” I whisper. “Don’t say anything, baby.”
“What are you doing, Niko? Go back to sleep.”
“My Lotus Flower shouldn’t be sleeping like this on a couch. It looks uncomfortable.”
“It wasn’t,” he murmurs, his voice hoarse with sleep. “It’s always comfortable as long as you’re there.”
God, even half-asleep, he sounds hot. The thought of pulling him closer, kissing him senseless, and doing things on this couch that would make no one want to sit on it ever again flashes through my mind. But for once, the exhaustion wins. Fucking sleep deprivation!
“You have to stop saying things like that,” I murmur, “Or I won’t be able to behave.”
I slide my arms under him and lift him up. To my surprise, he doesn’t protest. Maybe he’s still half asleep or still drunk. I carry him through the quiet hallway toward my room. I can hear the rest of the party downstairs, probably the last lost souls gathered in the kitchen. Usually I’d be right there with them.
But tonight, all I want is this: to lie down with my Lotus Flower and go to fucking sleep.
We make it to my room and undress before slipping into bed. A bed I’ve never slept in, I realize now.
I wrap my arms around my Lotus Flower and pull him close.
I can still feel the storm lingering in the back of my mind. The darkness hasn’t fully passed. My episode isn’t over yet.
But there’s light again. Just a small glow in all that shadow. Thanks to my Lotus Flower.
And I know that little light will guide me back.