MIX-UP (JossGawin)

Chapter 24

Joe woke up with a start, sunlight already streaming through the window. He groaned, realizing he had overslept. With a groggy urgency, he threw on a shirt and stumbled into Tong's room, nearly tripping over himself in the process.

"Tong, do you have morning class?" he asked breathlessly, panic evident in his voice.

Tong lay sprawled on top of Mark's closed coffin, lazily waving a hand as if batting away Joe's concern. "Relax. I don't have morning class today." His voice was calm, almost serene, like lounging on a vampire's coffin was the most natural thing in the world.

Joe rubbed his temples, muttering under his breath, "Our lives have officially gone off the rails." He shook his head, already turning to leave. "You're weird, Tong."

Tong smirked. "Takes one to know one."

Joe hurried off to get ready, leaving Tong alone with the ominous coffin. The quiet settled in, broken only by the soft creak of the floorboards as Tong swung his legs off the side of the coffin and stood. He stretched, his limbs stiff from lying in such an odd position, then ambled toward the bathroom.

He paused in the doorway, glancing back at the coffin. Where the hell are you, Mark? The thought gnawed at him before he shook it off and went about his day.

By evening, Tong was a mess of exhaustion. The weight of the day clung to him like a heavy fog as he trudged back into his room. 

His shoulders sagged, and his steps were uneven, as if the day itself had drained every ounce of his energy. 

He flicked on the light, which buzzed faintly before casting a warm glow over the room.

His eyes landed on the coffin. He hesitated, the absurdity of it all catching up to him. "Should I just sleep in that thing?" he muttered sarcastically, kicking off his shoes. He stared at it for a beat longer, debating whether to indulge his curiosity.

With a tired sigh, he approached the coffin and grasped the lid. "Might as well check if you decided to show up, you sneaky bastard." He slowly lifted it—and froze.

Mark lay inside, eyes half-lidded but unmistakably amused.

Tong's scream filled the room, raw and panicked, echoing through the walls. He stumbled back, clutching at his chest as if his heart might burst.

"What the fuck, Mark! You nearly gave me a heart attack!"

Mark sat up slowly, stretching as though he'd just woken from a particularly refreshing nap. He grinned, the kind of grin that only vampires with far too much time and a mischievous streak could master. "Missed me?"

Tong's glare could've melted steel. His heart was still racing, thudding in his chest like a drum. "You absolute asshole. Don't *ever* do that again!"

Mark climbed out of the coffin with the lazy grace of a predator, rolling his shoulders as if shaking off sleep. "I needed a nap. Coffin's cozy. You should try it sometime."

"You're insane," Tong muttered, still trying to calm the adrenaline coursing through him. He slumped onto the edge of his bed, rubbing his temples.

Mark's smirk softened into something gentler as he approached. He crouched in front of Tong, his silver eyes glimmering with something that almost resembled concern. "You look exhausted."

Tong sighed, the weight of the day pressing heavier now that the adrenaline had ebbed. "Yeah, I am." He glanced at Mark, too tired to argue, too weary to care about the vampire's antics. "But stay out of my bed, got it?"

Mark chuckled, low and smooth. "Scout's honor." He pulled the blanket over Tong as he settled into bed, tucking it around him with surprising tenderness.

Tong's eyes fluttered shut, his body finally giving in to the exhaustion. "You're still a jerk," he mumbled, the words slurred with sleep.

Mark smiled, leaning back into the shadows, watching as Tong drifted off. His voice was a soft whisper in the dim light. "Sleep well, Tong." And for the first time in days, the room felt less empty.