Anore's sobs didn't stop. If anything, they deepened, spilling out of him in shuddering waves. His hands fisted in Eiden's shirt like he might be ripped away at any second, his whole body trembling against him.
"Hey—Anore—look at me.." Eiden murmured, cupping his face, but the boy only shook his head, tears streaming down his cheeks.
Eiden's chest ached. He didn't think, he just acted. He bent forward, brushing his lips over Anore's, once, twice—again. Soft, steady kisses, each one cutting through the panic, grounding him.
Anore froze, the sound of his sobs breaking into a hitched breath.
Eiden's voice was low, firm but gentle. "I'm right here. If you close your eyes and open them, I'll still be here. So stop crying." He kept his gaze locked with Anore's, thumb brushing over his damp cheek. "I'll stay awake with you if that's what you want. But I can't do that if you keep crying like this."
Anore blinked at him, stunned into silence, his lips still parted where Eiden's had been. The tears clung to his lashes, but the sobs had gone quiet.
Eiden exhaled slowly, his hand never leaving the side of Anore's face. "That's it… breathe. I've got you."
Eiden blinked at him, startled by the sudden request.
"Kiss me again.." Anore murmured, his voice low, almost pleading. "It… makes it go away."
The hesitation in Eiden's eyes lasted only a heartbeat before he leaned in. Their lips met again, softer this time, but Anore immediately felt it wasn't enough. His fingers curled into Eiden's shirt, tugging him closer.
The kiss was okay—sweet, grounding—but it didn't fill the hollow ache clawing at his chest.
He wanted more.
"Eiden…" His breath brushed against Eiden's lips, hot and unsteady. "Touch me."
Eiden's brows drew together in confusion, but Anore didn't let him pull back. He pressed forward, his forehead resting against Eiden's, his voice trembling. "Hold me. Please. I want to feel you… I want your warmth."
Eiden's arms hesitated in the space between them before finally sliding around Anore's waist.
The moment their bodies touched, Anore exhaled shakily, leaning into him like a man finding shelter from a storm.
It wasn't just the heat from Eiden's body that seeped into him, it was the sense of being anchored, of belonging somewhere solid when everything else felt fragile.
Eiden's breath was still uneven, the taste of the kiss lingering on his lips like something forbidden and addictive.
His hands, which had instinctively lingered against Anore's face, slowly dropped away as if burned. He forced himself to take a step back, though every muscle screamed at him to close the gap again.
"I shouldn't have done that.." he said quietly, his voice almost lost in the space between them.
The heat in his chest warred with the sharp edge of restraint, because one kiss was already more than he had any right to take.
Anore didn't move, his expression unreadable, but there was a flicker in his eyes, something Eiden couldn't name.
"I've already crossed a line.." Eiden admitted, half to himself, half to the man in front of him. "If I take another step, there won't be a way back."
His fingers twitched, aching to reach out again, but he curled them into fists instead.
The air between them felt too heavy, too charged, and Eiden forced himself to turn slightly, just enough to break that pull.
For the first time in a long while, he was afraid of was not rejection, but of wanting more than he was allowed to have.
Anore's voice trembled, the words spilling out like a confession he had been holding back for far too long. "I don't care," he whispered, almost delirious. "Please… touch me. Please love me. I don't care about any boundary. Hold me. I want to feel every inch of you in me."
His hands were desperate as they reached for Eiden, fingers curling into the fabric of his shirt like he feared letting go. His eyes were glassy, unfocused, but filled with a wild, aching need.
Tears spilled freely, hot against his flushed skin, tracking down to his jaw.
He tilted his face upward, searching for Eiden's mouth, the movement unsteady as if every breath cost him something. The tremor in his body wasn't from fear—it was the weight of longing, of surrender.
Eiden caught him before he could stumble, one hand cupping his face, the other steady against his waist. Their eyes met, and for a moment, neither spoke. The air between them was thick, almost tangible, pulsing with everything unsaid.
The silence in the room felt heavier than the blankets around them, thick enough to press against Eiden's chest.
He could still feel the heat of Anore's lips on his, could still taste him if he dared to lick his own.
The faint scent of Anore's skin — sharp and intoxicating — clung stubbornly to him, coaxing every nerve to stay awake even as the late hour pulled at his body.
Anore's breath was ragged against his ear, his chest rising and falling with the effort of holding himself back.
His hands had been on Eiden's waist moments ago, warm and greedy, pulling him closer in a way that made it clear he wanted more.
And truth be told, Eiden had wanted to give it. He had wanted to sink completely into him, no space left between them, no thought beyond the fever in their touch.
But he had stopped.
Stopped, even when it felt like his very bones were crying out for Anore.
He tightened his arms around him now, drawing him in until Anore's head rested in the crook of his neck.
The steady thump of Eiden's own heartbeat filled his ears, matching the erratic rhythm of Anore's breath.
His voice came out low, steady, though it carried the weight of every unsaid thing pressing on his tongue.
"Sleep.." he murmured, brushing his lips just barely against the side of Anore's hair. "I'll be right here."
Anore's fingers flexed slightly against his side, as if in protest, but the younger man didn't speak.
He only shifted closer, curling into Eiden like he was trying to disappear inside him. The warmth of that small surrender hit Eiden harder than any kiss.