Narrator's P.O.V.
The sound of someone knocking on the door broke the silence of the apartment. Kael was sitting on the couch, calmly scrolling through his phone. He stood up and, upon opening the door, came face-to-face with Samuel wearing a broad smile. The boy walked over to him and hugged him tightly, kissing his cheek delicately. Ávila let out a soft, affectionate chuckle, happy to see him there.
When they pulled apart, he noticed that the younger boy was carrying something in his hand, which sparked a bit of curiosity.
"What's that?" Kael asked, raising an eyebrow as he stepped aside to let him in.
"Our one-month anniversary gift," Samuel announced, slipping off his shoes at the entrance with the familiarity of someone who already knew every corner of that place.
He walked into Kael's bedroom, followed by Ávila, and when he finally arrived, he placed a piece of paper on the bed. Novaes unfolded it, revealing a sort of board game, complete with a pink trail divided into several squares. Ávila watched in silence as the younger boy arranged small makeshift pieces on the mattress, until he finally looked up at him.
"I printed out this couples' board game so we could play together!" he said excitedly, his eyes sparkling with joy.
Kael looked at the improvised setup on the bed and then at the enthusiasm stamped on Samuel's face. A playful sigh escaped his lips, accompanied by a slow shake of his head. My God, why is he so cute? was literally the only thought repeating endlessly in the man's mind.
"Samuel, sweetheart... you know I hate board games, right?" Kael spoke calmly and gently so as not to sound harsh.
The triumphant look on Novaes's face deflated instantly. He crossed his arms, pouted noticeably, and looked at Ávila with dramatic indignation. The boy could be quite dramatic when he wanted to, especially when crossed by the older man.
"You've got to be kidding me, right? I spent hours putting this together, Kael!" he complained, crossing his arms tighter. "You know what? Fine. I'll just play by myself then."
Samuel then picked up a small game piece and the dice. He placed the piece at the start of the track on the board and began reading the rulebook aloud.
"Play by yourself? A couples' game?" Kael let out a nasal chuckle, leaning against the doorframe with his arms crossed to watch the younger boy's performance.
"Yes! I don't need you to play," Novaes grumbled, shrugging and settling onto the bed with his legs crossed.
He shook the die in his hand and tossed it onto the board. The cube rolled and landed on the number four. Samuel moved his makeshift piece four spaces forward and read the instruction printed on the square out loud:
"'Hug your partner for ten seconds and tell them something you admire about them.'"
Novaes stopped. He looked at the square on the board, looked to the sides, tried to wrap his own arms around his shoulders to simulate hugging himself, and ended up in the most uncomfortable and ridiculous position possible, mumbling something incomprehensible into thin air.
Kael couldn't hold it in. A genuine, hearty laugh echoed through the room, shattering any attempt at seriousness. He walked over to the bed, sitting cross-legged right in front of Samuel, who was still pouting, though the corners of his lips were already betraying the temptation to laugh along.
"Hand over that die, you stubborn kid," he said, taking the small plastic cube from the other's hands.
"I thought you hated board games," Samuel teased, trying to maintain his pout, but with his eyes shining.
"And I do. But I hate watching you try to hug yourself even more," Kael replied with a side smile.
Ávila then shook the die between his palms and dropped it onto the paper. The die spun a few times before stopping on the number three. He advanced his piece and leaned in to read the fine print on the corresponding square. A playful glint appeared in his eyes.
"And what does it say?" Samuel asked curiously, tilting his head.
Kael looked up from the board, locking his eyes on the younger boy, and read in a soft, velvety voice:
"'Give your partner a long kiss.'"
Samuel opened his mouth to reply, but Kael gave him no time. He closed the space separating them, delicately holding the boy's chin and bringing his lips to his own. The kiss began gently, a soft, perfect fit that brought all the warmth and comfort of that month they had built together. Kael ran his hand through the back of Samuel's neck, holding him firmly, as if he never wanted to let him go. Feeling Samuel's lips against his always brought him a genuine sense of happiness, his chest burning in pure euphoria. He always craved more of Samuel every time he touched him. The younger boy, in turn, let out a sigh against Kael's mouth, surrendering completely, both of his hands resting flat against Ávila's chest.
When they parted, just inches away, Kael brushed the tip of his nose against Samuel's and smiled. Both were breathless, but genuinely happy to be there together.
"Yeah... I guess this game isn't so bad after all..."
(...)
Kael's room had that typical clutter of someone getting ready to go out. Pop music filled the space while the couple put on the final touches for the night. In front of the mirror, Samuel turned around holding two shirts—one black and one white. He looked at himself with a confused expression, holding each piece against his body. He was struggling to decide which one to wear. The boy huffed in annoyance, consumed by doubt and stressed by it.
"Which one do you prefer?" he asked, turning around and holding both options toward Kael as soon as the man stepped into the room.
Kael let his eyes wander over Samuel's body without any rush, moving up from his abdomen to his face. He found Novaes's body remarkably handsome—that was undeniable. The man took in the pants and sneakers the younger boy was wearing, and then settled on which shirt was the better choice.
"The black one," he answered with conviction.
"Really?" Samuel frowned, looking at the shirts. "I was leaning more toward the white one."
Kael let out a soft laugh, shaking his head at that adorable stubbornness.
"Then wear whichever one you like best, love. You're going to look handsome either way," he said.
The words had an immediate effect. An easy, satisfied smile opened on Samuel's face. He walked over to Kael, left a quick, affectionate kiss on his lips, and turned his back, heading back to the mirror to put on the white shirt.
Kael took the opportunity to walk over to the edge of the bed, sitting on the mattress to grab his phone. The screen lit up as soon as he picked up the device, showing exactly 10:00 PM. He unlocked his phone and opened his friends' group chat. He scrolled for a few seconds, listening to short voice notes, reading texts, stickers, and lame excuses. Nobody was ready. Everyone was still in the shower, finishing their makeup, or just starting to get dressed.
He looked up from his phone and glanced at Samuel, who was already adjusting his necklace in the mirror—smelling good, fully dressed, and punctual. Kael sighed, the thought echoing loud and clear in his mind: Fuck, they can't be on time to save their lives!
Defeated by everyone else's procrastination, Kael simply let his body fall backward, lying flat on his back on the soft mattress. The thud of his fall made Samuel look through the mirror's reflection. The boy frowned.
"What happened?" he asked, turning around.
"Nobody's ready," Kael grumbled, letting his arm drop by his side. He patted the empty space on the mattress twice. "Lie down here for a bit. We're going to have to wait before we can leave."
Samuel shrugged, walked over to the bed, and settled beside him, resting his head on Kael's shoulder. Without another word, Kael opened TikTok on his phone. The screen's glow illuminated both their faces, the videos making them laugh at the silly things people posted on the app. They got more comfortable in bed, the cozy comfort of the moment swallowing them whole as they waited for the time to finally leave the house...
(...)
When Kael opened his eyes, he noticed that the lights in his room were still on. He felt his phone vibrate next to his face. The man blinked slowly, feeling the heavy fog of sleep still clouding his mind. He picked up the device; the display read exactly 1:27 AM. He blinked slowly once more, running a hand over his face in an almost futile attempt to wake up completely.
He slid his finger down the notification bar and was met with absolute chaos: missed calls in a row from Pedro, Lukas, and Pabllyo, along with a barrage of texts flooding the group chat non-stop. Everyone was looking for him. Only then did the man realize that his friends were waiting for him at the party, and that he had accidentally fallen asleep. He hadn't even realized it.
Driven by an old reflex, Kael sat up on the edge of the mattress, ready to get out of bed. After all, he was already fully dressed to go out. His perfume was still on his skin, his hair was still styled, and his shoes were already on his feet. However, as he turned his head around, Kael's abrupt movement died right there.
Samuel was fast asleep. The boy's breathing was steady, his chest rising and falling in a peaceful rhythm, completely oblivious to any real-world urgency. Kael smiled, feeling an uncontrollable surge of affection warm his chest, and the urgency he felt to go out evaporated entirely from his mind. He found that boy so handsome, even while sleeping. It was a beautiful sight to behold.
He then leaned over, untied his own shoes, and kicked them toward the corner of the room. He took off his shirt, tossing it onto a nearby chair, and slipped out of his pants. Next, he crawled across the mattress to get close to Samuel. With quiet, almost gentle care, Kael untied and pulled the sneakers off the younger boy's feet. Then, he unbuttoned the boy's pants and began pulling the fabric down.
Disturbed during his sleep, Samuel let out a long, incomprehensible grumble, knitting his brow. But as if his body were already aware of who was touching him, he instinctively lifted his hips slightly off the mattress, just enough to help Kael finish pulling his pants off. Kael had to bite his lip to hold back a laugh. He looked at the boy—eyes squeezed shut and face squished against the pillow—and shook his head.
He's so adorable, he thought, completely smitten.
As he got up to turn off the lights and go back to sleep, Kael's mind wandered. If this had been a few months ago, the situation would have been unthinkable. For someone who practically lived for the nightlife like him, one-thirty in the morning was considered very early; the night had barely started. He would have seen no problem with slipping his shoes back on, going out at that hour, or even waking up the boy so they could leave right away.
But now, looking at the peace stamped on Samuel's face, the simple idea of dragging him out of that bed felt like an unforgivable mistake. It wasn't worth it. Kael wasn't going to wake him up for some party, even if he loved being with his friends.
Whatever was happening out on the streets couldn't compare to the peace of staying right there with Samuel!
As soon as Kael's back touched the mattress for good, Samuel's body reacted to the older man's presence. As if guided by an invisible magnetic pull, the boy rolled over to his side and wrapped his arm around Kael's torso, holding him firmly and burying his face in the crook of his neck.
"Sam?" Kael called in a whisper, thinking he might have accidentally woken Samuel up.
Silence was the only answer, followed by the steady, warm breath brushing against Kael's skin. Samuel was still in a deep sleep.
Kael let out a soft chuckle, his heart skipping a beat in his chest. Samuel held Kael tighter, snuggling closer and closer, almost as if trying to merge with the older man.
"Even asleep he looks for me. So cute," he whispered, unable to contain his smile.
Completely overtaken by that feeling, Kael turned his head just enough to press a long, affectionate kiss on Samuel's forehead. He wrapped his arms around the boy's body, snuggled into that human warmth, and without a second thought about the friends waiting for them, let himself drift back to sleep.