Forbidden ( a BxB Furry Romance )

Chapter 3 - an awkward awakening

The first thing Silas noticed was warmth—soft, unfamiliar, and undeniably close. His eyes fluttered open to find the dim light of early morning filtering through the dorm window. It took a moment for the world to come into focus, but when it did, his heart jolted.

Kael was there.

Right there.

They were tangled together on the small couch, Silas' arm was draped across Kael's back, and Kael's tail had somehow wound itself around Silas' leg. Their heads were inches apart, and he could feel the slow rise and fall of Kael's breathing against his chest.

For a second, Silas froze, his mind scrambling to piece together how they'd ended up like this. They'd been talking last night, something about books and sketching, and at some point, Kael had sat next to him. Then... what? He couldn't remember falling asleep.

Kael stirred slightly, his ears twitching. Silas held his breath, hoping to avoid waking him, but then Kael's eyes flickered open.

The moment their gazes met, both of them stiffened.

Kael blinked rapidly, his eyes darting between their faces and the way their bodies were pressed together. His ears flattened, and his tail untangled itself from Silas' leg in a flash. "Uh..." Kael started, his voice still heavy with sleep, "what—?"

"I don't know," Silas interrupted, pulling back as quickly as he could without tumbling off the couch. "I swear, I don't—this wasn't—"

Kael scrambled to sit up, his fur slightly ruffled and his expression a mix of embarrassment and confusion. "It's fine," he said quickly, his voice a little too loud. "I mean, it's not fine, but it's... whatever. It's—"

"—nothing," Silas finished for him, nodding too eagerly. "Totally nothing. Just fell asleep. Happens all the time. Normal roommate stuff."

Kael's ears flicked back, and he nodded, though his tail was still puffed out, a dead giveaway that he was anything but calm. "Yeah. Normal," he muttered, shifting to the far end of the couch and running a hand through his hair.

Silas stood abruptly, raking a hand through his own messy curls as he tried to shake off the awkwardness. "I, uh, guess we were tired," he said, his tone overly casual. "That couch... not great for sleeping, huh?"

Kael glanced at him, his expression softening slightly, though the tension in his posture remained. "Yeah," he said quietly. "Not great."

Silas moved toward the small kitchenette, pretending to busy himself with the coffee maker. "Want some coffee? Or tea? Or literally anything else to make this less weird?"

Kael's lips twitched, almost a smile but not quite. "Coffee's fine," he said.

"Coffee it is," Silas replied, grateful for something to focus on. He filled the machine and started it up, the hum of brewing filling the silence between them.

Kael shifted on the couch, sitting with his legs crossed and his hands clasped in his lap. "I... didn't mean to fall asleep there," he said after a moment, his voice soft.

"Neither did I," Silas said quickly, glancing over his shoulder. "Seriously, it's no big deal. Stuff like that happens, right? We were just tired."

Kael nodded, but his gaze dropped to his hands, his ears flicking back. "Still... sorry if it made things weird."

Silas turned back toward him, holding two mugs of steaming coffee. He handed one to Kael, then sat on the far side of the couch, keeping a respectful distance. "You don't have to apologize," he said. "If anything, I should be the one saying sorry. I mean, I practically passed out on you."