Ocean Kisses

Breakfast then Cuddles

keralis pov

I plated some extra food for XB, sliding it across the counter to him. His quiet "Thank you" was soft, almost hesitant, as though he wasn’t used to someone thinking of him in small ways like this. We ate in an awkward silence, the occasional clink of forks against plates filling the space between us. I didn’t know what to say, and apparently, neither did he.

When breakfast was over, I collected the plates, rinsing them in the sink as XB lingered near the stool. The moment I turned back to him, I grabbed his arm and gave him a tug, surprising him completely.

“Come on,” I said, not giving him a chance to argue.

“Wait, what—where are we going?” XB asked, his voice tinged with confusion, though he let himself be pulled along.

“Back to bed,” I replied simply.

His baffled expression only deepened as I led him back to my room. The soft light filtering through the curtains painted everything in a warm, muted glow, the sounds of birds chirping faintly outside. When I gestured for him to lay down on the bed, he hesitated for a moment before carefully sitting on the edge.

I nudged him. “No, lay down properly.”

XB blinked, unsure, but finally did as I asked, shifting until he was lying on the plush surface. The moment his head hit the pillow, his expression shifted into one of complete astonishment, his teal eyes wide as he pressed his hand into the mattress as though testing its softness.

“Is... is it supposed to feel like this?” he asked, genuinely bewildered.

I raised an eyebrow at him, fighting the urge to laugh. “What? You’ve never slept on a bed before?”

“I have,” he said defensively, though his fingers curled into the comforter as if testing its texture. “Just... not like this. It’s so—soft.”

I smirked, flopping down beside him. “Guess I have good taste, huh?”

XB didn’t respond right away, his gaze wandering around the room before settling back on the ceiling. He looked almost overwhelmed, though not in a bad way, just... unsure. Whatever beds he’d used before, they clearly weren’t like this one.

Without another word, I scooted closer, curling up against his side. He tensed slightly at first, like he didn’t quite know how to react, but when I tucked my head against his shoulder, he relaxed, his hand resting awkwardly at his side.

“I wasn’t joking about going back to bed,” I murmured, closing my eyes and letting the warmth of the room and the lingering comfort of the morning lull me.

XB shifted a little, probably trying to get comfortable, though I could feel the slight shake of his head as he muttered, “You’re a strange one, you know that?”

“Yeah,” I mumbled sleepily, “but you’re here, so what does that say about you?”

He didn’t have a comeback for that, and the quiet between us stretched on, broken only by the faint chirping of birds and the occasional creak of the building as it settled. For a moment, it was just the two of us, the warmth of the bed and his steady presence beside me pulling me into a peaceful haze.

Without thinking, I grabbed the blanket from the end of the bed and tossed it over XB, tucking it around him so he wouldn’t get cold. He blinked at me, surprised, before letting out a soft chuckle.

“You’re full of surprises,” he said, his voice warm and amused.

I just shrugged, snuggling closer to his side. “Don’t want you freezing, fish boy.”

XB gave a mock-offended scoff, but he didn’t argue. Instead, after a moment of hesitation, I felt him shift beside me. His arm came up stiffly, almost unsure, and then wrapped awkwardly around my shoulders. He was so tense, it was almost funny—like he had no idea what he was doing.

I tilted my head to look up at him, a small smirk playing on my lips. “You always this awkward, or am I just special?”

His teal eyes darted away, his cheeks flushing faintly. “It’s... not something I do often,” he admitted, his arm relaxing a little as he got used to the idea.

“Clearly,” I teased, resting my head against his chest. “You’re like a human plank right now.”

“That’s because you’re—” he started, but stopped himself, clearing his throat instead. “Never mind.”

I laughed softly, the sound muffled against him. “What? I’m what?”

He sighed dramatically, the stiffness finally easing out of his posture as he pulled me a little closer. “You’re impossible, that’s what.”

“Yeah, but you’re still here,” I pointed out smugly.

XB didn’t have a response for that, though the way his arm tightened slightly around me said enough. The faint creak of the floorboards and the distant chirping of birds filled the room as the morning settled into a comfortable quiet. For all his awkwardness, the warmth of his embrace was surprisingly comforting, and I let myself relax fully against him.

“See?” I murmured, my voice heavy with sleep. “You’re not so bad at this.”

I could feel his chest rise and fall beneath me as he chuckled softly. “I’ll take your word for it.”

I shifted slightly, burying my face against XB’s chest as sleep started to pull me under again. The words came out in a soft mumble, half-coherent but loaded with teasing. “You’re too handsome for the world right now, princess. I’m going back to bed.”

XB stiffened at first, then I felt his whole body go still. The faintest hitch in his breathing gave him away, and I cracked one eye open just enough to catch the flush creeping up his cheeks. His teal eyes were wide, flickering between confusion and embarrassment, like he wasn’t sure whether to protest or laugh.

“Princess?” he echoed, his voice faintly indignant but still laced with that awkward charm that made me smirk sleepily.

“Mm-hmm,” I murmured, my eyes drifting shut again. “Don’t fight it, XB. You’ve got the cheekbones for it.”

The pink on his face deepened, and he opened his mouth like he was about to say something, but nothing came out. His silence was amusing, and I couldn’t help but mumble one last thing before fully giving in to sleep.

“And if you try and go for my journal,” I murmured, barely audible, “I will never forgive you.”

XB’s stunned expression was the last thing I saw before my consciousness faded. I didn’t catch his response, but the soft sigh that followed and the warmth of his arm still loosely around me were enough to let me know he wasn’t planning on moving anytime soon. The sound of his steady breathing and the faint creak of the house settling were the last things I noticed as sleep finally claimed me.