Misha woke up at one point, only because his bladder threatened to explode if he didn't relieve himself soon. He groggily opened his eyes, rubbing them with one hand as he sat up before reflexively patting the bed with his other hand. But instead of encountering a sleeping Gabriel, all he found was an empty bed, with the sheet long turned cold. It made him frown. Where had he gone…? Did he roll over during his sleep and crash onto the floor? It wouldn't be the first time.
"Good morning, Sleeping Beauty."
The teasing voice drew Misha's attention to his left, and when his gaze landed on Gabriel, a drowsy smile curled up the corner of his lips. There he was. He hadn't fallen off the bed, finally. But why was he sitting on a chair beside the window, reading a book? It was unusual… Since when did Gabriel wake before him? Not like the sight wasn't to his taste, though. Despite the curtain being closed shut, dim rays of sunlight fell upon Gabriel's hair, making the strands sparkle with auburn hues. He wore a white bathrobe loosely tied at his waist, which revealed his cleavage. It made Misha gulp. How could that man look handsome and pretty at the same time? It should be criminal.
"…You're already up?"
"Well, yes," Gabriel chuckled. "It's past noon."
"Hm? Wait, what?"
It was already past noon?! He knew he fell asleep relatively early yesterday, so did it mean he slept for almost fifteen hours straight…? No wonder his bladder was plotting a revolt. Thinking of his bladder, he needed to go.
Like, right now.
Forgetting that he was naked, Misha threw the blankets over and ran to the bathroom as if a fire had been lit under his butt. He almost stumbled down on the carpet, but somehow managed to steady his feet and reach the toilet in time. In his haste, he hadn't thought of closing the door, meaning that Gabriel could hear loud and clear what had caused the commotion. It resulted in a light laughter on his side: Misha's bladder had truly been on the brink of exploding. On the bright side, it didn't empty itself on the bed. If that had happened, Misha would have been so ashamed that he might as well have dug his own grave.
"Gosh, did I need to go…"
Once the bladder emergency was taken care of, Misha regained his ability to think clearly. It finally dawned upon him that he was butt-naked, thanks to the large mirror hanging on the wall. Slowly, what happened yesterday came back to his mind. In a split second, his face turned bright red as he grabbed the sink to steady his legs, which had turned into jelly at the various R-rated memories assaulting his brain. He had been too tired yesterday to fully comprehend what had been said and what had been done. Now that his mind had cleared a little, every little scene popped up into his head, so vivid that he could somewhat hear Gabriel's soft moans and feel his warmth in the palms of his hands. It had been incredible.
"Are you alright in there?"
Gabriel's voice came from the other side of the room, and Misha's cheeks flared up a little more. He silently berated himself for the shyness he felt, wondering why on earth he was getting embarrassed now of all times. If anything, he should have been self-aware yesterday, not this morning after the act!
"Yeah! I'm just gonna take a shower real quick."
And take care of another business of his, too.
***
"So? What's the plan for today?" Misha asked as he dried his hair with a towel, another wrapped around his waist.
"First," Gabriel smiled, closing his book before putting it on the night desk beside the chair, "Let's eat something and then go to the spa, what do you think?"
"Sounds good to me."
At the mention of food, it reminded him that he hadn't eaten anything for half a day, and that he was starving. The bladder emergency wasn't the only thing that had woken him up: hunger and thirst did their part, too.
Thus, after Misha put on a bathrobe and a swim trunks underneath, they went downstairs for lunch. Misha ordered a copious breakfast, wolfing down eggs, bacon, beans, and fried potatoes. Meanwhile, Gabriel opted for a soup. It drew question marks from Misha, but he didn't ask much. Gabriel was usually a big eater, like himself. Since they both trained regularly and intensively to keep their bodies in shape, they needed to eat enough calories in exchange. But maybe Gabriel wasn't in the mood for a heavy breakfast today.
They didn't talk much while eating, and after cleaning up their tables, they went to the spa area, which was another floor below. It led to an open space in the forest. Various-sized tubs, which looked like ponds from afar, dotted the ground amid the colorful shrubs and paved paths. Planted beside the entrance of each spa, a sign indicated the temperature of the water. That was when Misha realized that the place had hot and cool spas, allowing the visitors to alternate between the two. He was just about to tell Gabriel of his discovery when an employee glared at him, making a shhh sign with his hand. Right. They had to keep quiet in this area. Silence was in order, or they could be thrown out. The strict rule was a bit of a pain, but Misha abided by it, pinching his lips.
'People can talk and relax at the same time, y'know!' he silently complained, even if deep down, he was aware that the spa was an area of relaxation, and others might not share his thoughts. People came here to relax, and they might not want to be bothered by some strangers' whispers.
Slightly annoyed, Misha grabbed Gabriel's wrist to drag him toward the spa he spotted. At this hour, the area was relatively empty, and Misha deliberately selected a spot where there was no one and gestured for Gabriel to hang his bathrobe on the rack beside the entrance. The temperature seemed neither too hot nor too cold. Still, he hissed discreetly when his feet entered the water. It was hot! Not scalding hot, but his skin nevertheless tingled. Maybe because the air was quite cold? It was October, and the temperature had dropped significantly. It was even chilly to walk around wearing nothing but a bathrobe and swimming trunks.
"Is it too hot?" Gabriel whispered in his ears, his voice so low that Misha barely heard it. Or maybe the warm breath against his skin distracted his mind a little too much. Being so close to each other had never bothered him before, so why was he so jumpy now?! It was like his heart couldn't stay put, trying to leap out of his throat.
"No, I was just surprised…"
In the end, Misha muttered a flimsy excuse and went to sit in a corner. Gabriel soon followed and took place beside him, resting his head against the headrest and closing his eyes to enjoy the warm feeling spreading throughout his body. It helped his tense muscles relax after so many stressful days.
Because silence reigned and only faint noises from the forest could be heard, Misha could do nothing but think as he submerged his body into the warm water, up to his jaw. Earlier, he had tied his hair into a high, loose bun, so it wouldn't float all around his neck and get on his nerves. But maybe he shouldn't have. Playing with strands of hair would have kept him distracted, if only a little. Phones were strictly forbidden, too, and had to be left in either a locker or their room, so he couldn't fiddle with his to keep his mind off the gutter. Now, all he could think about was Gabriel's words from yesterday, and what they might do this evening.
Let's say that unholy images Misha wouldn't dare to recount passed through his mind again and again, almost like a broken record.
But what could he do? The idea of finally joining their bodies together was as stressful as it was exciting. Thanks to that, seconds, minutes, and hours seemed to tick by incredibly slowly. The spa was comfortable, with a relaxing atmosphere, but the silence and inactivity didn't help pass the time. It made it difficult for Misha to enjoy the soothing water. The anticipation for tonight was too strong, and no matter what he tried, whether it was counting sheep or looking at the clouds, he couldn't rein in his impatience. He was just too riddled and fidgety.
With that in mind, Misha wasn't the least bit sad when Gabriel proposed they leave earlier. Neither did he refuse an early dinner despite the late lunch. The food was excellent, but then again, he barely tasted it. Impatience and excitement were growing stronger by the second, and Misha merely chewed once or twice before swallowing his food, forcing it down his throat. He wanted to go up to their bedroom as fast as possible! And the moment Gabriel finished his meal, he dragged him upstairs without any further delay.
However, once they entered their room and the door slammed shut behind them, Gabriel gently pushed Misha aside after he lashed onto him. His movements were tender but firm, keeping the clingy Misha at bay.
"You'll have to excuse me for about an hour," he smiled, his eyes a little mischievous as they glanced at Misha's unrestrained lower half. It hadn't been difficult to guess what was going through his head in the afternoon while they soaked in the warm water. It was a miracle that that thing didn't stand up in the spa, considering Misha's mind wandered the gutter for hours. "Don't look at me like that, it won't work. Wait patiently for me, will you?"
A long whine was Misha's response. Did he truly have to wait? Again? He didn't want to wait any longer! But it wasn't like he had a choice, as Gabriel took a bag and shut himself in the bathroom, leaving him with a: "If you're bored, play with your phone!"
Misha responded with a grunt. Still, he did as told and fetched his phone. Since he had to wait anyway, he might as well research how sex between men went. His knowledge from adult films appeared to be utterly useless, and he didn't want Gabriel to tease him a second time. He was also curious about what Gabriel might be doing in the bathroom, as he appeared vehement about doing it alone.