Chapter 3
Chapter 3 Morning After
A featherlight touch brushed across Kael’s forehead.
It was so gentle that, for a fleeting moment, he thought he had imagined it.
His heavy eyelids parted just enough for the blurry silhouette leaning over his bed to come into focus. Sunlight filtered through the half-drawn curtains, wrapping the room in pale gold, making the stranger's features almost unreal.
Adrian.
He smiled when he noticed Kael was awake.
His blue eyes—clear as winter skies—softened with an expression Kael couldn't quite understand.
“Yo…u awak…e?” Kael made a sleepy sound that barely resembled a word. “...Leav…ing…?”
His voice was rough from sleep. “I have to.”
Adrian tucked a loose strand of dark hair away from Kael's forehead before slipping his hand back into his coat pocket.
“I've got somewhere to be.”
Kael only nodded.
He should have felt awkward. Embarrassed. Regretful. Instead… An unfamiliar warmth spread quietly through his chest.
He'd expected this morning to feel empty.
But somehow, simply hearing Adrian admit he'd enjoyed their night together made something inside Kael relax.
“I had a really good time.”
Those words settled into Kael's heart far deeper than they should have.
A smile tugged lazily at his lips.
“I…” His brain refused to cooperate. “Me too.”
Adrian chuckled softly. “You should get some more sleep.”
He leaned down once more, pressing another brief kiss against Kael's forehead. “Sleep well, Sparrow.”
Sparrow.
The nickname slipped so naturally from Adrian's lips that Kael didn't even question it.
He barely managed another sleepy hum before exhaustion reclaimed him.
The last thing he heard was the apartment door quietly clicking shut.
When Kael woke again… He immediately regretted opening his eyes.
His head felt like someone had taken a baseball bat to it.
Every muscle in his body protested the smallest movement.
His stomach rolled unpleasantly.
He buried his face back into the pillow with a miserable groan. “Never drinking again…”
That was a lie. Even he knew it.
But right now, it felt convincing.
After several long minutes of mentally bargaining with himself, Kael finally forced himself upright.
The room spun.
He squeezed his eyes shut until the dizziness faded.
Last night's scattered memories floated through his mind in disconnected fragments.
The music. The flashing lights. Mira dragging him onto the dance floor.
That ridiculously handsome stranger. Blue eyes. A crooked smile. Their conversation. Walking home together. Laughing. Kissing… His ears instantly turned crimson.
“Oh God.”
The memories came flooding back all at once. Not every detail. Just enough to make his entire face burn.
He stumbled toward the bathroom, still half asleep, completely oblivious to the fact that he wasn't wearing a stitch of clothing.
Only when he caught his reflection did he freeze. “...What the hell?”
Faint reddish marks decorated his collarbone.
Another disappeared beneath his shoulder. His lips looked slightly swollen. His hair resembled a bird's nest.
He looked thoroughly… Ruined.
Heat rushed straight to his ears.
He stared at himself in horrified silence. “I actually did it.”
His first one-night stand. His first time taking someone home. His first time throwing every carefully built wall straight out the window.
The shower started running.
Steam quickly filled the bathroom.
Kael stepped beneath the warm water and rested both palms against the tiled wall. “What were you thinking?”
His thoughts became increasingly dramatic with every passing second.
You brought home a complete stranger. What if he'd been dangerous? What if he'd robbed you? What if he'd been completely insane? What if—
Kael paused.
His apartment… He hadn't checked the apartment.
His eyes snapped open.
He hurriedly rinsed the shampoo from his hair before rushing back into his bedroom with a towel wrapped around his waist.
Laptop. Still there. Wallet. Still there. Phone. Still charging.
Nothing seemed missing.
He slowly exhaled. “...You're ridiculous.”
He couldn't imagine Adrian stealing anything.
Not after the way he'd looked at him that morning.
Not after how carefully he'd tucked the blanket back over Kael before leaving.
Still… People could pretend.
His grandmother had always said handsome faces were the easiest disguises.
He sighed. “I'm overthinking.”
Again.
Nearly twenty minutes later, Kael dressed in loose sweatpants and an oversized hoodie, and shuffled toward the kitchen. He had tried every possible ways he could stop overthinking yesterday though it was futile.
The apartment smelled strongly of coffee.
His roommate looked up from the counter with a grin far too cheerful for this early in the day.
“There he is.” Mira Carter raised an eyebrow. “The walking dead.”
Kael groaned. “I hate you.”
“You survived.”
“Barely.” He reached straight for the coffee machine without another word.
Mira watched him with suspicious amusement. “So…”
“No.”
“I didn't even ask anything.”
“You were about to.”
“I absolutely was.”
She smirked over the rim of her mug. “So.”
Kael refused to look at her.
His silence only encouraged her. “...Did you have fun?”
He nearly choked on the first sip of coffee. “What kind of question is that?”
“The obvious kind.”
“I…” His face betrayed him before words ever could.
Mira gasped dramatically. “No way.”
Kael stared into his coffee as though it contained the meaning of life.
“Oh my God.”
“Mira.”
“You actually brought him home?”
“...Maybe.”
Her jaw literally dropped. “The ridiculously hot guy?”
“I said maybe.”
She pointed accusingly. “That's a yes.”
Kael rubbed his temples. “I was drunk.”
“So drunk people just accidentally take gorgeous strangers home now?”
“It wasn't like that.”
“Oh?”
“It just… happened.”
Mira laughed so hard she nearly spilled her coffee. “You?”
“What?”
“Mr. ‘I need three months before holding someone's hand?’”
Kael buried his burning face behind his mug. “I know.”
“You've had exactly two dates in the last three years.”
“I know.”
“You rejected your Grindr date because he breathed too loudly.”
“I know.”
“And somehow you skipped straight to a one-night stand?”
“I KNOW.”
She burst into another fit of laughter.
Kael couldn't help laughing too.
It sounded absurd when someone else said it aloud.
After a while Mira leaned forward with an annoyingly mischievous smile. “So…”
“No.”
“Was he at least good?”
Kael nearly inhaled his coffee. “Mira!”
“What?”
“I'm asking for scientific purposes.”
“There is absolutely nothing scientific about that question.”
“So that's a yes.”
“I didn't say anything!”
“You didn't have to.” She folded her arms triumphantly. “I've known you since freshman year.”
“I hate that.”
“You love me.”
“...Unfortunately.”
Mira softened slightly. “So…” Her voice became gentler. “Are you going to see him again?”
Kael's smile faded.
That question… He hadn't really thought about it.
He didn't know Adrian's phone number.
Didn't know where he lived.
Didn't even know if Adrian wanted more than one incredible night with a stranger he'd met at a bar.
The thought left an unexpected ache beneath his ribs.
“I don't know.” It came out much quieter than he'd intended.
Mira noticed. “He seemed nice.”
“He was.”
“Then maybe you'll get lucky.”
Kael gave a small, doubtful laugh. “Life doesn't really work like that.”
“Sometimes it does.”
He wasn't convinced.
One magical night didn't magically become a relationship.
People met. People slept together. People disappeared.
That was reality.
Still… His fingers unconsciously drifted toward the place on his forehead where Adrian had kissed him goodbye.
His heart gave one traitorous little thump.
Blue eyes. A warm smile. “Sleep well, Sparrow.”
He wondered if he'd ever hear that voice again.
Somehow… He hoped he would.