Light slept restlessly, breath uneven, lashes trembling as if he were still arguing with the night. Pond sat on the edge of the bed, elbows on his knees, hands clasped together, jaw tight. The jealousy hadn't cooled yet. It lingered like heat trapped under skin.
He watched Light's chest rise and fall. Watched the way his fingers curled into the sheets, searching for balance even in sleep.
-You really don't get it, - Pond murmured, quiet enough not to wake him. - You smile like that and think it means nothing.
Light shifted, mumbling something incoherent, turning his face into the pillow.
Without the sharp personality he carried he looked different now. Softer. Unaware.
Pond reached out before thinking, pulling the blanket higher, stopping only when his knuckles brushed Light's wrist.
The contact grounded him.
Pond leaned back, exhaling slowly. He told himself this was about responsibility. About getting him home safe. About being a decent friend. But the memory kept replaying anyway. The way Light had leaned too close to someone else. The way Pond's chest had tightened, sharp and unreasonable.
He stood, pacing once, then twice, before settling into the chair near the bed. The city lights slipped through the curtains, painting everything in muted gold.
-Sleep it off, - he said, softer now almost pouting everytime he remembered what he did.
Light turned slightly, closer to the edge, as if pulled by gravity he didn't understand. Pond didn't move away. He stayed. Watching. Waiting.
Pond stayed there as the minutes stretched, the room breathing slowly around them. The hum of the city outside softened, cars passing like distant tides, until even that faded into a low, constant hush
-You make it so hard to stay where I'm supposed to be, - pond whispered, more to himself than to Light.Carefully, almost reluctantly, he reached to touch Light's hand.
The touch was brief, controlled, but it sent a quiet tension through him anyway.
Light relaxed after that, his breathing evening out at last. Whatever storm had followed him from the night finally loosened its grip.
Pond straightened, forcing distance back between them.
Eventually, fatigue won.
Pond changed into his pajamas quietly, movements careful, almost rehearsed. The fabric was familiar, soft, offering a sense of normalcy he desperately needed. When he returned to the bedroom, he hesitated only a second before lying down beside Light.
He kept his distance.
His body was stiff, straight on the mattress, arms folded loosely over his chest like he was afraid they might move on their own. There was a narrow strip of space between them, deliberate and fragile. He stared at the ceiling, counting breaths, counting seconds, pretending the warmth beside him wasn't real.
(...-Why am I so nervous if this isn't the first time we've slept like this?-)Pond thought
Light shifted in his sleep, rolling just enough that his shoulder brushed Pond's arm.
Pond froze.
He didn't pull away. He didn't move closer either. He just stayed there, muscles tense, heart beating louder than it should have. The contact was accidental, meaningless. And yet it felt heavier than anything that had happened that night.
-This is fine, - Pond whispered to the dark, voice barely there. - Just sleep.
Light murmured something unintelligible and settled again, breathing deep and even. His presence softened the room, grounded it.
Slowly, despite himself, Pond's body began to loosen, tension easing out of his shoulders, his jaw unclenching.
He turned his head slightly, just enough to know Light was still there,pond laid there stiff and awake long after sleep should have claimed him, guarding that thin line between them like it was the only thing keeping everything from changing.
And eventually, sometime before morning fully arrived, exhaustion pulled him under anyway.
_________________________________________
Morning arrived quietly, almost cautiously.
Light woke first.
Sunlight slipped through the curtains in thin bands, settling over the room and tracing the outline of the bed. His head throbbed dully, the kind of ache that came from bad decisions and too many hours stretched thin. He shifted, then stopped.
Someone was beside him.
Slowly, carefully, Light turned his head.
Pond was there, lying stiffly on his back, exactly as if he'd fallen asleep mid-thought. His hair was a mess, lashes resting dark against his cheeks, mouth set in a neutral line even in sleep. One arm lay straight at his side, the other bent slightly, as if he'd never fully relaxed.
Light swallowed.
They'd slept together before. On couches. On floors. On long nights that meant nothing more than convenience and exhaustion. So why did this feel different?
Light shifted again, the mattress dipping softly. Pond stirred almost immediately, brows drawing together before his eyes opened.
For a second, they just looked at each other.
Too close. Too quiet.
-Morning, - Light said, voice rough, testing the word like it might break something.
Pond blinked once, then twice, awareness settling in. He sat up quickly, rubbing a hand over his face, distance snapping back into place like muscle memory.
-You alive? - pond asked, tone casual, but a beat too quick.
Unfortunately, yes, - Light muttered, pressing his palm to his forehead. - And I think my brain is punishing me for last night.
Pond stood, stretching his shoulders as if shaking something off.
- I'll make coffe ,maybe that will help...- he said, already moving toward the kitchen.
Light watched him go, chest tight for reasons he couldn't quite name. He sat up slowly, blanket slipping down...
Pond reappeared with two mugs, setting one down a little harder than necessary on the nightstand.
-By the way, - he said, not looking at Light. - the guy from last night. The one who suddenly thought he was in a romance movie.
-Light frowned, trying to focus.
What guy?
Pond let out a short laugh, sharp around the edges.
-Don't play dumb. The one practically purring at you. If he'd had a tail, he would've been swishing it.
Light blinked, then snorted.
-You mean the dude who was sitting behind us?
-The same, - Pond replied, finally turning to him. His expression was calm on the surface, but his jaw was tight, eyes a little too focused. - He was getting way too comfortable. Touching your arm. Leaning in. Acting like you were his.
Light raised an eyebrow, amused despite the headache.
-And that bothered you because…?
Pond hesitated. Just a fraction of a second. Enough to be noticed.
-Because you could barely stand, - he said, brushing it off too fast. - And he knew it. People like that smell weakness. Like stray cats.
Light smiled slowly, teasing.
-You jealous?
Pond scoffed, turning away to take a sip of his coffee.
-Don't flatter yourself. I just didn't feel like carrying you home after you got kidnapped by some clown with cheap cologne.
But the way his ears reddened, the way he avoided Light's gaze, betrayed him completely.
Light watched him over the rim of his mug, heart doing something annoyingly warm.
Yeah.
That was definitely jealousy