Complicated Feelings

Chapter 3

Kao awakens to an almost suffocating heat, taking note of a familiar weight draped across his midriff and legs as he gains consciousness.

The last thing Kao remembers is falling asleep on Up's shoulder in Foei's truck. He must have stumbled―or been carried by Up, as it has happened before―to his bed, if that's even where he is right now. He assumes so, since Up is more often the one to sleep over.

He blearily blinks the sleep from his eyes, confirming that it's his own room Up had carried or led him to and decided to crash in. He can't blame him; it was a long day, especially after they...

Kao's eyes fly open, heart beating fast in his chest as the memories of the previous night come flooding back, Up's hand in his hair, Up's lips around him, Up's lust-filled gaze. Up pressed up against him, his laughter filling the air with his friends'. Vague memories of being nudged awake to unlock his dorm, held securely in Up's arms, Up forcing him to brush his teeth, tucking him into bed, cuddling up next to him.

Up.

Something in Kao's stomach flutters as he runs a gentle hand over the back of Up's, gingerly wrapping fingers around his wrist and attempting to free himself from his hold. Up stirs, grunting and instead tightening his hold, pulling Kao closer to his chest. It would be nice if his body weren't so hot.

You know, temperature-wise.

"Up," Kao whispers, jostling his arm. "Up, Lemme go. I need to pee."

Up whines, nuzzling into the back of Kao's neck. His warm breath tickles his skin and sends goosebumps down his spine, making Kao repress a shudder. While trying to worm his way out of Up's iron grip, Kao spots the cat plush he had won at the fair last night lying just by his bed, as if he had dropped it during the night. He wonders if Up had put it in his arms, the thought of it, Is making him smile sleepily as he stretches his arm out to pick it up.

"Here," he says, wedging the orange and white cat under Up's arm. "Cuddling Mayo Junior."

"Wanna cuddle Kao Junior," Up mumbles, barely intelligible.

Kao glances at the clock and realizes they still have a couple of hours before either of them really needs to be up. "I'll come back," he promises. With a final sleepy grumble, Up relents, and Kao springs out of bed and away from his warmth. Kao glances back at him as he exits, smiling when he sees the plushie clutched close to his chest, eyes screwed shut with a furrow between his eyebrows and a pout on his lips.

He's just so cute.

Kao feels heat rise to his face as he recalls himself saying those exact words to Up the night before. On his knees. With his dick in his hand. It was as true then as it is now, but in a vastly different way.

I need to pull myself together, Kao tells himself, shaking off the thoughts and heading to the bathroom. I can't make things weird again.

How does Up do it? How does he remain so unaffected by everything? He's always been a "go with the flow" type of guy, but how does one keep that up even when it comes to something like fooling around with your best friend?

Still, if he can, surely Kao can as well. He'll just... take it in his stride and hope for the best until he finds a solution for Up's glaring problem.

He splashes some water on his face and shivers, missing Up's warmth even though it's the reason he got up in the first place. By the time he comes back to his room, Up has rolled over facing the wall. On autopilot, Kao slips under the covers next to him, wrapping an arm around his waist and a leg around his like a baby koala, nuzzling into his back with a content hum.

(He also notes that Up's meter is at a healthy one-forth full or so, the lowest he's seen it yet save for after messing around. Maybe he just needs to knock Up out every time he gets super horny to keep him safe.)