GEMINI.
I stood there, still processing the implications of his "I'm holding you to that shopping trip," when he made his next move. He moved toward the bed, settling back against the pillows. He looked completely relaxed, like he was in his own king-sized bed, not my cramped college twin. He patted the space right next to him.
"Come on," he ordered, the low grumble back in his voice. "I am absolutely exhausted. I need sleep."
I walked over and sat down slowly, deliberately keeping a few inches between us. I had a whole day of class tomorrow. It'll be wise to send him off.
"Percy, you should probably go home or a hotel, so you can actually rest comfortably. This bed is too tiny for both of us, and I have an 8 A.M class—"
I never finished the sentence. Before I could launch into my list of logical reasons why he needed to leave, he reached out, hooked an arm around my waist, and with surprising gentleness, pulled me down with him. My head landed on his shoulder, my entire body pressed against his side. The suddenness of it stole my breath.
"You're here, aren't you?" he murmured against the top of my head, a deep, satisfied sigh escaping him. "This is better than any hotel."
My whole body went rigid. I tried to pull away, just enough to find my own space. "Percy, this isn't—"
"Shh," he cut me off softly, his arm tightening around me, not letting me budge. He smelled of clean soap. "Just five minutes. Don't move."
I could feel the heavy, even rhythm of his breathing start to deepen against my hair. My heart, meanwhile, was beating like a frantic drum against my ribs. He's lying here, in my bed, holding me. This isn't just a friendly hug. This is...
I shifted my head slightly to look up at him. His eyes were already closed. The long flight, the stress, the adrenaline of coming back—it had all caught up. The moment I started trying to form a protest in my mind, his grip loosened ever so slightly, and the weight of his head shifted.
He was asleep.
Completely, deeply, peacefully asleep.
I lay there, a prisoner of his exhaustion, my heart still racing at a ridiculous speed. My mind was screaming a thousand questions—What does this mean? Why is my heart doing that?—but I couldn't move. My hand was tucked right against his chest, feeling the soft, slow thud of his heart.
He had simply dragged me down, claimed my bed, and passed out, leaving me wide awake with my heart doing gymnastics.
I decided I was going to stay exactly where I am. I had no other choice, really. Any attempt to wriggle free would mean waking him, and frankly, I didn't have the emotional energy for another intense conversation right now.
I resigned myself to my position, curled against his side, and stared at the dark ceiling fan that wasn't spinning.
My heart gradually calmed its frantic rhythm, settling into a dull, heavy thump that echoed the steady beat of his. With nothing else to do, my brain immediately started screaming.
What is even happening?
I ran through the timeline: we met, he likes to keep to himself but he lets me into his space. He buys me things, he takes me places, he flies halfway across the world just to see me, makes an intense admission about needing my presence, flirts mercilessly about a shopping trip and then simply falls asleep holding me. Nothing makes sense with this guy.
I thought about calling Ohio. Ohio is someone who operates exclusively on high drama and zero subtlety. She'd been monitoring the tension between Percy and me for months, often claiming we were "soulmates" who were just "too emotionally stunted to admit it." Whatever that means.
Should I text her?
No. Absolutely not.
I pictured the response. She'd probably send twenty all-caps texts. "HE'S LITERALLY CUDDLING YOU RIGHT NOW! HE FLEW BACK FOR YOU! THIS IS NOT JUST FRIENDSHIP, BUNNY! HE WANTS TO MARRY YOU AND BUILD A CABIN IN THE WOODS!"
Her version of events would be so wild and hyperbolic, it would give me a panic attack. I needed logical counsel, not a rom-com screenplay.
But the biggest question, the one that made my stomach clench, was the one Ohio always posed: Do I like Percy? Like, more than a friend?
I closed my eyes. No. Of course not.
He's my friend. He's someone I rely on, like an older brother. He's just...Percy. We have a dynamic, comfortable ease. This sudden, overwhelming physical intimacy was just a side-effect of his stress. He was tired and seeking comfort. And I was the safe space.
That's all it was.
Except... my cheek was resting right over his heart. I felt the warmth radiating off his body, the possessive weight of his arm. And I didn't want to move. I definitely didn't want him to move.
Okay. Maybe I like the comfort of him. Maybe I like that he trusts me this much. That's it. It wasn't about liking him, it was about this being a first for me. It was about the shared safe space. I tried to convince myself, but the heat rising in my cheeks suggested I was lying, if not to Percy, then definitely to myself.