Jarnell woke up earlier than usual.
Not because he wanted to.
Because his mind refused to stay quiet.
Every time he closed his eyes, he remembered the night before.
Jayden's voice.
That confession.
The kiss.
And worse—
the way he had stopped it… not because he didn't want it, but because he couldn't handle it.
He sat up slowly, pressing a hand to his face.
"…This is ridiculous."
Outside, the world looked the same.
But Jarnell didn't feel the same inside it anymore.
Before he could even fully get ready—
knock.
One.
Two.
Confident.
Unbothered.
Jarnell froze.
Then exhaled slowly.
"…Of course."
He opened the door.
Jayden was already standing there.
Casual.
Hands in his pockets.
Like he had always belonged there.
"You're early," Jarnell said.
Jayden tilted his head slightly.
"I said I'd start today."
"…It's 7:40."
"I know."
Silence.
Jarnell stepped aside.
Not inviting.
Not refusing.
Just… allowing.
Jayden walked in like it was routine.
Like yesterday's tension had not almost broken both of them.
Jayden sat on the couch.
Comfortable.
Too comfortable.
Jarnell stood near the table, arms crossed.
"What are you doing?"
"Starting."
"That's not an answer."
"It is if you stop asking questions."
Jarnell narrowed his eyes slightly.
"You're impossible."
Jayden smiled faintly.
"And you're still not telling me to leave."
Silence.
That hit harder than it should have.
Because it was true.
Then you should leave. Though it was low and Jayden didn't hear it.
Jarnell turned away.
Walked toward the kitchen.
Needing distance.
Even if just a little.
Behind him, Jayden spoke again.
"You didn't answer last night."
Jarnell paused.
"I didn't need to."
"You did."
Jarnell poured juice into a glass.
Hands steady.
Voice not.
"…You're asking for too much."
"I'm asking for clarity."
Jarnell looked back at him.
"What clarity?"
Jayden stood now.
Slowly.
"Do you want me here?"
Silence.
That question—
simple on the surface—
was not simple at all.
Jarnell's grip tightened slightly on the glass.
"…You're already here."
"That's not an answer."
Jarnell set the glass down.
Harder than intended.
"Stop pushing."
Jayden stepped closer.
"But you didn't stop me yesterday."
Jarnell's mind betrayed him instantly.
The kiss.
The closeness.
The warmth.
The hand at his waist.
The feeling of being too seen.
Too known.
Too affected.
His breath shifted slightly.
Jayden noticed.
Of course he did.
"You're thinking about it again," Jayden said quietly.
"I'm not."
"You are."
Jarnell looked away.
"…You should focus on the project."
Jayden stepped closer.
"I am focused."
Now only a few steps between them.
Too close again.
Jayden's voice lowered.
"I like you."
Jarnell froze slightly.
"I already said that."
"I know."
"But I don't think you heard me properly."
Silence.
Jarnell finally looked at him.
Fully.
Jayden continued softly.
"I don't want this to be confusing for you."
A pause.
"I want you."
The words didn't rush.
They landed carefully.
Deliberately.
Jarnell's heartbeat stuttered.
"You keep saying things like that," he muttered.
"…like I'm supposed to just accept them."
Jayden shook his head slightly.
"No."
Then stepped closer again.
"I'm saying them so you stop pretending you don't feel anything."
Because i know you also have something for me otherwise you wouldn't have kissed me yesterday.
That one sentence cracked something.
Jarnell's expression tightened.
"I don't pretend."
Jayden didn't flinch.
"You do."
A pause.
"You just do it very well."
Silence.
Jarnell's voice dropped lower.
"…You don't know me that well."
Jayden smiled faintly.
"I'm trying to."
That softened everything.
Even the tension.
Even the resistance.
And Jarnell hated that it did.
Jayden lifted a hand slowly.
Not touching yet.
Waiting.
Always waiting.
"You can tell me to stop," he said.
Jarnell didn't respond immediately.
Because stopping him wasn't what his body wanted.
That was the problem.
Jayden's hand hovered near his face.
Close enough to feel warmth.
Close enough to ruin thoughts.
And Jarnell—
for once—
didn't move away immediately.
That hesitation was enough.
Jayden leaned in slightly.
Not fully.
Just enough that breath almost mixed.
Then—
the doorbell rang.
Both froze.
Jarnell stepped back immediately.
Jayden lowered his hand.
"…Saved by the bell," Jayden muttered.
Jarnell exhaled.
"…Thank God."
He walked to the door quickly.
Opened it.
Brian stood there.
Casual.
Smiling.
Behind him, Calvin.
Arms crossed.
Expression knowing.
Brian looked past Jarnell immediately.
"Oh. We interrupted something, didn't we?"
Jarnell's face stayed neutral.
"No."
Calvin stepped in slightly.
"Sure."
Jayden appeared behind Jarnell.
Calm again.
Composed again.
But his eyes lingered on Jarnell a second too long.
Brian noticed that.
Of course he did.
"Oh," he whispered to Calvin.
"This is getting serious."
Calvin nodded.
"Already is."
Jarnell closed the door behind them.
Slowly.
Jayden leaned slightly toward him.
Quietly said—
"You're bad at lying."
Jarnell didn't look at him.
"…And you talk too much."
Jayden smiled faintly.
"But you didn't tell me to stop earlier."
Silence.
And that—
was the real problem.
Because Jarnell was starting to realize something dangerous:
It wasn't that Jayden was pushing too far.
It was that Jarnell was no longer pushing back as hard as he used to.