For Theo, the world narrowed to porcelain legs and the soft, unguarded expression on Yu's face. His heart, usually measured and steady, gave a single hard thud.
It made no sense. He'd seen men in locker rooms, seen strangers in less, and felt nothing. But this—this caught him like a hook in the ribs. The flush of skin, the ridiculous vulnerability of the situation, and those hazel eyes staring back at him—it lodged under his defenses.
He clenched his jaw, trying to will the heat from his chest back into cold iron.
Yet his hand didn't move from the doorknob. His gaze lingered half a second too long.
Yu tilted his head, recovering faster, lips curving into something sly.
"Well, this is awkward…"
He murmured, voice dripping with faux innocence. Then, with a little shrug, he added lightly,
"Joy asked me to sleep over. I said yes but I didn't bring my pj's… Can you shut the door now?"
The words landed with a weight Theo wasn't ready for. His composure cracked.
