The morning came softly.
Eli woke to the sound of faint birds outside his window and the warmth of Riven's arm still loosely draped around his waist. The sun hadn't fully risen, but the sky was already glowing with that sleepy lavender hue, like the world wasn't quite ready to open its eyes.
For a moment, he stayed still—breathing in the peace, the silence, the weight of what it meant to wake up beside someone like this.
Beside him.
Riven stirred, fingers twitching against Eli's side.
"Mmm… you're awake?" he mumbled, voice thick and low with sleep.
Eli smiled. "I've been watching the light change. You sleep like a rock."
Riven opened his eyes halfway, his expression softer than Eli had ever seen. There was no mask. No tension. Just the raw vulnerability of someone who had finally let his guard down.
"I sleep better here," he murmured.
The words made Eli's chest tighten.
They stayed like that for a while, half-awake and tangled in quiet. No rush to leave. No words they were afraid to say.
But of course, the world wouldn't wait forever.
A buzz came from Riven's phone on the desk.
Another buzz.
And another.
He sighed, untangled himself, and sat up slowly. The cold air rushed in to fill the space he'd left beside Eli.
Riven looked at the screen—three missed calls, all from his father.
Eli watched the way his shoulders stiffened again. The soft version of Riven faded into the familiar posture of someone bracing for disappointment.
"Is everything okay?" Eli asked.
Riven didn't answer right away. He set the phone down gently, like it might explode.
"My father… He doesn't know I stayed here."
Eli sat up too, hugging his knees. "You don't have to explain. You're not obligated to—"
"I want to," Riven interrupted. "But I don't know how."
Eli looked at him carefully. "Do you mean… explain to him, or explain to me?"
Riven turned to him. His expression was guarded again, but his eyes… his eyes were full of things he hadn't said yet.
"I've never brought anyone home. Not even as a friend," he said. "He expects perfection. Clean grades. Clean behavior. Clean image."
"And you're afraid you're not any of those things if you're… with me."
"No," Riven said firmly. "I'm afraid I'll lose everything I've worked for."
The silence was deep and a little painful.
But Eli understood.
Because he'd been afraid too.
"I'm not asking you to tell him anything yet," Eli said softly. "But I need to know if I'm someone you want in your life. Even quietly."
Riven looked down. His fingers clenched slightly.
"You are," he said.
Then he looked up, eyes steady. "You already are."
Eli didn't say anything.
He just leaned forward and gently touched his forehead to Riven's—soft, wordless, warm.
They stayed like that for a long moment. It was almost a kiss. But not quite.
Because some moments weren't about passion.
Some were about choosing to stay.
Even when the world outside started calling again.
---
Later, Riven left. Not with a kiss, not with a promise—but with a look that said: I'll come back.
And Eli believed him.
But as he watched Riven walk down the hallway, stiff shoulders and phone in hand, he couldn't shake the feeling in his chest.
This thing between them…
It was real. It was beautiful.
But it wasn't easy.
And love?
Love had never been safe.
---