Silent Bond || EstWilliam au

Twenty five

It was a quiet evening at Est's apartment. The day had passed in a peaceful rhythm—William had spent most of the time playing games with Est occasionally hovering around, offering snacks or checking in. The usual buzz of city life outside the apartment was now subdued, and the night brought with it a stillness that wrapped the apartment in calm.

As the night crept in, William yawned loudly, stretching his arms above his head, signaling that he was ready to turn in. Normally, when William stayed over, he'd head to the guest room for the night. That was their routine. Est would prepare the room, and William would settle there comfortably, only emerging the next morning. But tonight, as Est was tidying up the living room, William lingered at the doorway, a thoughtful look on his face.

"Hey, Phi," William called out quietly, his voice a little hesitant.

Est looked up from the couch, raising an eyebrow in curiosity. "What's up?"

William shifted on his feet, glancing away for a second before looking back at Est. "Uh, can I sleep with you tonight?"

For a moment, silence filled the room. Est blinked, slightly taken aback by the request. William hadn't asked to sleep in the same bed as him for years—not since they were kids. They used to share a bed back then, before life got more complicated and William grew more independent.

Est's first reaction was a mix of surprise and confusion. He wasn't sure why William was asking this, but before he could say anything, a rush of memories came back—those late nights during their childhood when William would crawl into his bed after a bad dream or when he simply wanted to be close. They hadn't done that in years.

Finally, Est gave a soft nod, a small smile tugging at the corner of his lips. "Of course. We always used to do that, right?"

William visibly relaxed, a faint smile crossing his face as well. "Yeah, we did."

Est led the way to his bedroom, the atmosphere between them comfortable yet filled with an unspoken nostalgia. His room was minimalistic—neatly arranged with a large bed in the center, soft lighting from a lamp on the bedside table casting a warm glow. Est pulled back the covers, slipping into his usual spot on the left side while William climbed in on the right.

Once they were both settled, Est reached over and turned off the night lamp, plunging the room into darkness, save for the soft glow from the city lights filtering through the blinds. "Goodnight, Phi Nong," Est said softly, pulling the blanket up to his chest.

"Goodnight, Phi," William whispered back.

For a few moments, all was quiet. Est lay on his side, staring out at the faint lights outside, his mind already drifting towards sleep. But then, he felt a light tap on his shoulder. He blinked in the darkness, confused at first, before hearing William's whisper from behind him.

"Can you turn around and face me?"

Est's heart skipped a beat at the request, though he wasn't sure why. There was something about the softness in William's voice, the vulnerability, that made him pause. But he complied without a word, rolling over to face his brother in the darkness.

What he wasn't expecting was what came next.

As soon as he turned, William moved closer, wrapping his arms around Est in a tight embrace. His face pressed into the crook of Est's neck, and Est could feel the warmth of William's breath against his skin. The hug was firm, almost desperate, as if William was clinging to him for comfort, for reassurance, just like when he was a kid.

Est froze for a moment, his body stiff with surprise. This wasn't the new William he was used to. The new William he knew didn't show this level of affection—at least not in recent years. But there was something different now, something almost... tender.

Slowly, Est let himself relax, his arms finding their way around William's body, returning the hug. But as he did, he couldn't help but notice the way William's body felt against his. This wasn't the soft, boyish frame he remembered from years ago. William had grown, his body now lean and muscular, the result of years of maturing into a young man.

Est could feel the strength in William's embrace, the solidness of his chest against his own. It stirred something in him, something he wasn't expecting. The closeness, the warmth, the way William's breath tickled his neck—it all felt different. Not bad, just... different. It was no longer the innocent hug of a little brother seeking comfort. It felt more intense, more intimate, in a way Est hadn't anticipated.

He tried to push the feeling aside, telling himself it was just because it had been so long since they'd been this close. But still, the warmth spreading through his chest, the way his heart fluttered in his ribcage—it was undeniable. He was flustered, though he wasn't sure why.

William shifted slightly, burying his face deeper into Est's neck, his breath warm against Est's skin. Est's grip tightened around him instinctively, pulling him closer, even though he wasn't sure if that was the right thing to do. But William didn't pull away. If anything, he seemed to melt into the embrace, his body relaxing completely against Est's.

The room was silent except for the soft sounds of their breathing, and Est's mind raced. He could feel every inch of William pressed against him, the way their bodies fit together in the darkness. It was comforting, but it also made Est acutely aware of how much had changed. William wasn't a little boy anymore. He was a grown man, and that fact was becoming more and more apparent with every passing second.

Eventually, William spoke, his voice barely above a whisper. "I missed this."

Est swallowed hard, his throat suddenly dry. "Yeah... me too."

They stayed like that for a while, neither of them saying much. Est's mind continued to whirl, trying to process the strange mix of emotions swirling inside him. There was the familiar brotherly love, the protective instinct that had always been there. But there was something else too—something new, something that made his heart race and his breath catch in his throat.

As William's breathing began to slow, indicating that he was drifting off to sleep, Est let out a quiet sigh, his fingers gently running through William's hair. Despite the confusing emotions, there was a sense of peace in that moment. Having William so close, feeling his warmth, his presence—it was something Est hadn't realized he missed so much.

Eventually, Est's own eyes began to grow heavy, lulled by the steady rhythm of William's breathing and the comforting weight of his body against him. Whatever these new feelings were, they could wait. For now, he was content just to hold William , knowing that they were together again, and that was all that mattered.

As sleep finally claimed him, Est's last thought was of how different everything felt now, but how right it felt at the same time.