Ivan had just finished pulling on his pajamas, hoping sleep would drag him under and silence the storm tearing his head apart.
Taking overdose of sleeping pills and drowning in sleep was the only escape he had left.
But before he could sink into the mattress, the bathroom door creaked open.
"Can you pass me my towel? It's in the suitcase, right on top of the clothes," Axel called. He hadn't opened the door wide, just enough for his head to poke through.
Ivan's eyes narrowed. "I don't look through people's things," he said flatly, turning back toward his bed.
"What?!" Axel's voice cracked with protest, a hint of panic hidden beneath it,.. as if imagining he would have to go out naked if really Ivan was not going to give him the towel was unbearable. "I've asked you to pass it to me. I've given you permission to go in my things.. It's not like you'd be snooping when I'm not around."
The tone snagged at Ivan.
He sat up slowly, his eyes studying Axel. "Are you bothered by my naked body? Is that why you rushed into the bathroom earlier? Do you see a private room here? One made for dressing?" His expression remained unreadable, but his voice carried the weight of challenge. "So tell me, if you can't walk out of the bathroom as you are, then where exactly do you plan to dress from? Have you never had a roommate before? We're both men. What's there to act childish about?"
For the first time since they'd met, Axel seemed speechless. Truly speechless. Ivan had only known him as a non-stop talker, a sharp tongue that seemed to always find words, but now… nothing.
And he felt satisfied by the fact that his intented meaning was delivered perfectly. He could tell that from Axel's reaction to his words.
Ivan replayed the earlier moment in his mind, the way Axel had started to say something and then cut himself off the second Ivan had pulled his shirt over his head.
Just a shirt.
Then later vanished into the bathroom. Ivan's jaw flexed. It didn't matter much, but something about it grated. Why the hell would Axel react like that? They were both men. There was no reason for him to act as though Ivan had somehow unsettled him. The irritation simmered in Ivan's chest.
He decided to push, just enough to throw it back at Axel. "I'm not into the shit where guys compare the sizes of their cocks ..if that's what you're worried about. Because honestly, what would there be to compare between you and me?"
The blow landed. Axel's eyes widened, only slightly, but it was there.. a flicker of surprise and disbelief.
"When did I ever say this is about comparing?" Axel snapped back, his words sharp, but his voice carried an edge of defeat, a conflict he couldn't hide.
"Whatever," Ivan muttered, lying back down. He reached for the blanket, ready to bury himself in it, but immediately Axel realized he was about to lose his chance to set his plan in motion, so the words tumbled out of him at once.
"Okay, you're right. Your naked body made me uncomfortable." His words spilled fast, almost reckless. "Because why the hell would anyone undress in front of someone else like that? And if you're really claiming it doesn't make you uncomfortable, then fine. Watch me. Let's see just how childish it is to feel what you call nothing."
The room stilled. Ivan twisted his head toward him, irritation flickering at the edge of his expression. "Why would I watch you naked? I never asked you to watch me, so why would I watch yo..."
His words faltered before he could finish because Axel had stepped out of the bathroom.
Ivan's mouth moved, finishing the sentence out of pride, but it meant nothing. His eyes betrayed him instantly.. he didn't look away after he finished speaking.
Axel's movements were deliberate, every step chosen, every angle controlled. Water still tracing down the smooth glow of his pale skin, the kind of tone that wasn't quite white but luminous, like porcelain warmed by life.
Damp strands of dark hair clung to his forehead, softening the sharp cut of his jaw, making his features dangerously beautiful.. those lashes, the shape of his mouth, the curve of lips too full for a boy, all of it sinful in the light.
His lean frame was carved in balance, muscle stretched taut beneath flawless skin. Nothing exaggerated, nothing wasted. Every motion carried fluid grace, quiet but commanding.
Fresh from the shower, he looked untouchable and inviting all at once, like something carved from beauty itself, but alive, breathing, burning.
Ivan hadn't breathed the moment his eyes landed on Axel. Heat shot through him so violently it left him dizzy.
Sudden blood rushed hot and frantic through his veins, his mind thrown into chaos as if every sense had turned against him.
The need hit him hard, sudden and unbearable. A pull that dragged his control into shreds, whispering one thing: take. Drag that flawless body into his bed, press it down, feel it writhe under him.
Ivan had never once pictured himself with a man, yet here he was, burning with the urge to throw that body beneath him. Every nerve screamed to touch that flawless skin, to taste those lips. The hunger hit so violently his wolf tore awake inside him.
His chest rose sharply. Heat spiraled low, savage and demanding, until his cock strained against the loose fabric of his pajamas, thick and urgent, the ache raw enough to burn.
He shot upright, anger breaking through the chaos inside him. "Dress up!" he snapped, his voice raw, strained.
Axel's eyes locked on him. He had seen it... seen the control Ivan was losing, seen the crack in his composure. That was all Axel had needed. He didn't rush, didn't obey. His slow dressing was deliberate, a strike as sharp as any blade.
"I said fucking dress up!" Ivan's voice rose, snapping with heat, his frustration boiling over. He grabbed his phone, punching a call through with fingers stiff from tension.
When the line connected, his command was brutal. "Be in my room in a minute."
Axel's brows furrowed. Who the hell was Ivan summoning here, right now? Who would he bring into this room, into this charged silence that still clung thick between them?
Whatever the answer, it didn't matter. The instant he heard the words, Axel's hands worked fast his movements quickening.
He dressed fast, pulling thick pajamas over his damp skin. The fabric clung uncomfortably, but he didn't care.