Beneath the Surface

Part 16

The next morning, the sun filtered through the thin curtains of Longtai's bedroom, casting a soft glow over the room. Longtai stirred under the covers, his body heavy with sleep and his head pounding. His hair was a mess, sticking out at odd angles, and his eyes were swollen and puffy from the hangover. His mouth was dry, and his throat felt scratchy as he slowly blinked his eyes open, squinting at the brightness of the room.

He groaned, his hand flying to his forehead as the throbbing headache made itself known._What the hell happened last night?_ He sat up slowly, the world tilting slightly as he did. The room was spinning just a little, the remnants of the alcohol still swirling in his system. His body felt like lead, heavy and sluggish, as if he'd been hit by a truck. He rubbed his temples, trying to remember how he'd ended up in his bed.

That's when it hit him. He was in his bed. He didn't remember getting here.

Longtai glanced around his room, disoriented. His heart started to pound a little faster, panic creeping in as his mind tried to piece together the events of the night before. His last memory was at the party-Yok, Emma, the shots. He remembered the music, the laughter, and then-his stomach sank-he remembered leaning on Yok as they left. But how did he get here?

And then the flashbacks started to hit him like a freight train.

Longtai's eyes went wide as bits and pieces of the night began flooding back, like puzzle pieces falling into place, each one worse than the last. He remembered Yok holding him up, his arm around him, guiding him to the door. He remembered leaning into him, feeling the warmth of Yok's body against his own. And then-oh God-he remembered sitting on his couch, drunk out of his mind, clinging to Yok and asking the stupidest question in the world.

Why do I want to kiss you right now?

His face went bright red in an instant, the embarrassment washing over him like a tidal wave. He could feel the heat crawling up his neck, spreading across his cheeks as the rest of the memory came rushing back-the way he'd pulled Yok closer, the way he'd actually kissed him. And Yok had... _kissed him back_

"Shit," Longtai muttered, his voice muffled as he buried his face in his hands. "What the fuck did I do?" His heart was racing now, and his headache felt even worse as he groaned in frustration. He collapsed back onto the bed, his head hitting the pillow with a dull thud as he tried to drown in the sheets.

He cursed again, grabbing the pillow and pulling it over his face. The overwhelming embarrassment clawed at him, making his whole body feel hot with shame. He couldn't believe he'd actually done that-he'd actually kissed Yok. And worse, he'd done it while he was drunk, after all the careful effort he'd put into hiding how he felt, how much he liked Yok. And now... he had just thrown himself at him.

Longtai groaned louder, pressing the pillow tighter against his face as if it could somehow smother the shame. "I can't believe this... I'm such an idiot..." He felt like his entire body was on fire, a mix of humiliation and regret churning in his stomach. He couldn't even imagine facing Yok now._How was he ever supposed to look him in the eyes again?_

"I need to leave the country," Longtai muttered, his voice muffled under the pillow. "I need to move... somewhere far away. Maybe Europe. Or... or Antarctica." He groaned again, flipping onto his stomach and burying his face deeper into the bed. The thought of seeing Yok again, of having to deal with the aftermath of his drunken confession and that kiss, was too much to bear.

"What the hell is wrong with me?" Longtai cursed softly into the mattress. His mind was racing, every embarrassing moment from the night replaying on a loop in his head. He couldn't believe he had been so bold, so stupid. How could he have let his guard down like that? He had been trying so hard to keep his feelings for Yok hidden, to not let it show, and now... now he'd ruined everything.