Soul woke up with a start. For a moment, he was disoriented, unsure of where he was. But then, he felt the warmth of Y/N's body pressed against his and remembered.
He glanced down at her, still asleep, her head resting on his chest. The rhythmic rise and fall of her breathing had slowly lulled him to sleep and now, as he looked at her, he felt a strange mix of contentment and guilt.
Slowly and carefully, he untangled himself from her embrace and sat up on the bed. The movement caused Y/N to stir, her eyes fluttering open blearily.
"What..." she mumbled groggily, her eyes still closed. It took her a moment to realize what had happened. Memories of the previous evening, and the feeling of Soul's body next to hers, came flooding back.
She sat up, rubbing her eyes. Her hair was mussed from sleep, but somehow, the sight of her made Soul's heart race just a little bit faster.
"I'm... sorry," he said, his voice gruff. "I didn't mean to fall asleep here."
Y/N blinked a few more times, her mind slowly starting to clear. She looked at him, at the way he was awkwardly averting his gaze, and she realized that he was as affected by this situation as she was.
"It's okay," she said, a small smile tugging at the corners of her mouth. "I... I don't mind."
Soul glanced at her, surprise flashing in his eyes at her casual response. But then, he smiled back, a smile that seemed to hold a hint of relief and something else... affection.
Soul had to stop himself from pulling her back into his arms. The urge was strong, the need to feel her body close to his again overwhelming.
Instead, he stood up, running a hand through his hair. He needed some space, some thinking time. But before he could take a step, Y/N's voice stopped him.
"Soul," she said quietly, her voice almost a whisper. "Can I ask you something?"
Soul turned to look at her, his heart thumping in his chest. "Yeah," he said, his voice steadier than he felt. "Anything."
Y/N took a deep breath, her eyes meeting his. "Why did you stay here... last night? Why did you hold me?"
The question hung heavily in the air between them. Soul was quiet for a moment, his thoughts swirling. He knew he couldn't tell her the truth - he was too scared to voice his feelings, to admit how much he wanted her, how much he had started to need her.
So, he went with a more vague answer. "I guess... I guess I just felt comfortable," he mumbled, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly. "It felt... natural, holding you."
Y/N looked at him, the look in her eyes suggesting she knew he was holding something back. But she didn't push, didn't ask for more. Instead, she nodded, her lips curving into a small smile.
"I liked it," she said, her voice barely above a whisper. "I liked feeling your arms around me."
The moment the words left her mouth, she knew she had gone too far, revealed too much. She blushed, her cheeks turning a rosy hue.
Soul felt his heart skip a beat. Every fiber of his being yearned to cross the space between them, to pull her into his arms and never let go. But reason held him back, reminding him of all the reasons it was better not to get too involved... yet the sight of her blushing, the sound of her admission, was chipping away at his resolve.
"Y/N..." he began, his voice hoarse. But before he could say more, there was a knock on the door, followed by Intak's voice calling out.
"Breakfast is ready! Come on down!"
