Chapter 6: Exposed
"What are you doing?" Micah's voice broke through the silence, low and controlled, yet carrying a faint edge of surprise.
No reply came from the bed. The only movement was the slight rise and fall of the lumpy duvet, which was pulled tightly over Liam's entire body as if the blanket alone could make him disappear.
Micah's brows drew together in quiet confusion. Slowly, he stepped closer to the bed, his steps making a soft sound against the floor. He stopped beside the bed and stood still, waiting, observing. Ten seconds passed. Nothing. Not a single twitch of acknowledgment.
'What is he doing?' Micah thought, his face calm but his curiosity piqued. He exhaled softly and let his hand hover over the duvet.
Then, without warning, he tugged—hard.
The heavy blanket flew off in one smooth motion, tumbling onto the floor with a muted thud.
Beneath it, Liam lay flat on his back, his white T-shirt slightly wrinkled, his black shorts riding dangerously high, exposing his pale thighs. His pale feet twisting asif to his itself —how odd—but Micah's sharp eyes didn't linger there. They caught on something else. Something… prominent.
Micah's expression didn't change, but internally, his mind clicked. Hn? That… Liam is hard? His emerald eyes flickered briefly to the boy's face, which was flushed red even with his eyes tightly shut. So that's why he hid himself under the covers. Silly.
"Oh my God," Liam screamed inside his head, panic flooding every nerve. He pulled it off. He pulled it off, and now—obviously, he'll see it! Why… why didn't I roll onto my stomach?! Why am I lying face up like an idiot? I… I dug my own grave!
The silence that followed was deafening. Neither spoke. Micah's tall figure stood there like a statue, his gaze dropping for a second before rising back to Liam's face.
"What are you doing?" Micah asked again, his tone as calm as ever, though a shade of curiosity curled at the edges.
Liam's lashes trembled. Slowly, reluctantly, his eyes opened—and locked with Micah's cool emerald gaze. His face heated instantly, his breath catching.
"I… I… I—" he stammered, his voice breaking like fragile glass.
But Micah's eyes weren't staying on his face. They slid downward, unhurried, to the bulge pressing against Liam's shorts. Liam followed that gaze—and wished the floor would swallow him whole. His d*** was still hard, straining against the fabric like a silent betrayal.
'He saw it. Oh God, he really saw it. And he's looking at it! Why, why, WHY?!' Liam screamed internally, tears of humiliation threatening to pool at the corners of his eyes.
Micah tilted his head slightly, his voice dropping into something softer, almost casual.
"You have an erection. And that's why you're embarrassed enough to hide under a cover?"
"…." Liam froze.
"You're so silly, Liam." The words left Micah's lips like a verdict—calm, unhurried, and utterly devastating. His eyes lifted from the obvious tent to meet Liam's trembling gaze, which now shimmered with unshed tears.
"I'm not silly! I just… I didn't know what to do!" Liam burst out, his voice thick, cracking under the weight of shame. His throat burned, and he hated himself for sounding so small. "Don't insult me…"
Micah blinked, unfazed, his voice as smooth as silk. "But you are. It's a normal reaction a man has," he said simply, like he was stating a scientific fact. Then his gaze sharpened, curious yet detached. "But what stimulates yours?"
The question sliced through Liam like a blade. Heat shot straight to his ears. His heart pounded so loud he could hear it. You. You, you, YOU! his mind screamed. Everything about you—your stupid perfect face, your stupid calm voice, your stupid green eyes!
But what came out of his mouth was a breathless, "N-Nothing! I don't know! What are you doing here?" He blurted the last part out like a lifeline, desperate to steer away from this humiliating line of questioning.
Micah straightened slightly, his posture immaculate as always. "Oh. I was asked to tell you that Leo will be going back to your home alone today and will come back on Sunday. Tomorrow is the weekend, and he has something to do. He wanted to be alone, so you went back. But he asked me to inform you." His tone was businesslike, almost indifferent, as if they weren't standing in the middle of a storm of embarrassment.
"Oh… okay." Liam blinked rapidly, trying to anchor himself in the normalcy of Micah's words. Leo's going back? Alone? Well, that wasn't shocking. The only thing that could make Leo leave like this was drawing. His brother loved solitude when inspiration struck, hated distractions. It's fine. Just for a day.
"Oh. It's gone down," Micah murmured suddenly, his voice cutting clean through Liam's thoughts like a scalpel.
'Gone down? What…?' Liam followed the direction of Micah's gaze—and his soul almost left his body. Oh. His eyes widened. The bulge… it was gone. Just like that. Wow… it went down by itself, he thought, relief washing over him like cold water.
"Well, I guess that's all. Bye." Liam sat up quickly, the mattress creaking under his weight as he practically shoved the words out, hoping—praying—that Micah would leave.
Micah's brows lifted slightly. "Oh? You're chasing me away?" His voice carried the faintest note of amusement. It was subtle, but it burned Liam like fire.
"Uh… no! I'm just… I…" He floundered, his tongue tying itself into knots.
"I'm leaving," Micah said finally, calm as ever. He reached the door with slow, unhurried steps, then paused. His voice floated back, silky and devastating: "Take care of yourself. And… try not to have an erection again."
And then he left—like nothing happened.
Liam sat frozen on the bed, his brain a blank canvas. Then, slowly, the words registered.
"He… he said what?!" Liam shot up, fists clenching as anger and humiliation battled inside him. "Damn that pretty boy! Always so high and mighty, like he's above it all… like he can't get an erection too!" His voice cracked as he pounded the mattress, frustration spilling over.
Finally, he collapsed back onto the sheets, chest heaving. His brown eyes gleamed with something dark, a silent promise.
Hmph. Let's see. If I ever get the chance to see this side of you, Micah… I swear, I'll humiliate you too. Asshole.
The room fell quiet again, save for the soft sound of Liam's ragged breathing.