Breaking the Barriers • BrightWin

Two

Familiar

Bright pressed his lips into a thin line and felt a knot tightening between his brows. He held a deep inhale before he drank whatever that was left in his wine glass and went inside his room from his balcony.

He was now staring at the ceiling of his dark room, waiting for sleep to come. He had been altering his position from one direction to another until he decided to get up.

He wearily ran a hand through his hair and closed his eyes. He couldn't sleep. How could he?

He felt strange at his own behaviour. He hated it. He could certainly not apprehend the peculiar fascination.

He was never like this to anyone except for his friends. He never let himself feel soft with anybody. He didn't want to associate himself with anyone.

No, he was just distracted. Guilty, perhaps.

But no matter how much he convinced himself that it was just his guilt taking him in, there was something inside him that made him want to protect the man. It was as if Win was too innocent for him. To this cold-hearted world.

Even when his face was almost covered by his shoulder-length hair, the man was beautiful. There was no doubt about that. There was a softness hidden deep under his gaze.

Desire whispered through his body, gathering momentum, moving further his blood vessels, surging through his veins. He remembered how his body felt delicate in his arms. Too fragile and vulnerable that needs shielding in everything.

His thoughts snapped out when he felt a buzz under his cushion, probably a notification from his phone. A short spark of confusion flashed through his eyes; brows knitted when it revealed an unexpected message from an unexpected contact.

From Gigie:

Hey, Bright! I'm inviting you to my wedding, hope you could spare some time to attend!

His head shook, one finely arched eyebrow crept upward, furious by the message. His shoulders slumped downward and he rested his back against his headboard.

It was his ex. They had been long estranged, and neither had tried contacting the other in the past two years. After she rejected his proposal, Gigie never showed her face or graced him with a single message nor an explanation. She just instantaneously became non-existent.

Was she not sensitive enough that she just easily invited him to attend her wedding after years of his proposal? Emotions ran through and he laughed at the idea.

He'd be lying if he'd say he didn't miss her. He missed her. But beyond that, he couldn't find a single ounce of sadness or any feeling of romantic yearning.

It was not like he wanted to have her in his arms again. He just missed the warmth. He was abstained from sexual relations for months now. Though he had plenty of flings after her, neither one of them had satisfied him.

It wasn't as if he was demanding for a closure as well. He believed that not all situations deserve it, nor needs it. Sometimes seeing people removing themselves from his life is closure enough for him.

All he needs is a dose of acceptance. And he's still working that out.

Bright drew a long, frustrated breath and scowled as he was suddenly assaulted by a pounding headache when Win suddenly flashed in his mind again. Shoving off all his thoughts aside, he pinched the bridge of his nose between his two fingers and closed his eyes to assuage the frustration. He then infuriatingly grabbed his comforter and flatly laid himself under.

Win covered himself tightly with the dirty ripped up crocheted wool blanket he found in the dumpster as he laid uncomfortably on his cardboard. He couldn't sleep as he shivered from the freezing air that brushed against his skin.