A knock on the door jolted Liam from his blanket cocoon. He nearly fell off the bed in his startled panic. His heart raced so fast he could feel it in his throat.
Taking a deep breath, he swung the door open.
Blake was standing there, slightly messy-haired, eyes half-lidded, and that grin—the one that made Liam's stomach flip—spread across his face.
"Hey," Blake said softly, his voice a little slurred. "You… you didn't hang up on me, right?"
"N-no," Liam stammered, stepping aside. "Come in… uh, make yourself comfortable."
Blake walked in, carrying nothing but his own relaxed confidence. Liam gestured toward the bed. "You can sit here…"
Blake raised an eyebrow, playful. "Mind if we… continue the movie now that I'm here?"
Liam swallowed hard. "Oh, yeah, sure…" His voice was far too high-pitched for his liking.
Blake climbed onto the bed, leaving a little space between them. Then, with a mischievous tilt of his head, he patted the mattress next to him.
"C'mon, little cute boy. Sit closer," he said lightly, almost teasing, almost serious.
Liam froze. Little… cute… boy?
His face flamed red. "I-I… uh… must be the alcohol talking," he muttered, trying to calm himself.
Blake just smirked, not pressing further. He leaned back against the headboard, and Liam sat carefully on the bed, leaving a safe gap between them.
Hours passed as they watched the movie. The room was quiet except for the occasional laugh, snack crunching, and soft dialogue from the film. Liam was still tense, sitting stiffly, glancing sideways at Blake every few minutes.
Then, slowly, impossibly, Blake leaned a little closer.
Liam barely noticed until Blake's head had slipped onto his shoulder. His warmth was intoxicating, and Liam froze, heart hammering.
Blake murmured something soft, content, and drifted off.
Liam's brain screamed in shock, excitement, and disbelief. He gently lifted Blake's head from his shoulder, careful not to wake him, and tucked him a little under the blanket.
Then… he did something he never thought he'd do. Quietly, carefully, he took out his phone and snapped a quick photo. Not for himself—for Gary. Gary had to know about this.
Sitting back, Liam stared at Blake asleep on his shoulder. He couldn't believe this was happening.
His second day of college.
Second. Day.
And somehow, he was already sharing his bed… kind of… with Blake Carter.
Liam's cheeks burned, and his heart refused to slow. This was more than he could have imagined—and yet, he didn't want it to end.