14 A small step ahead

Zeng went to Yul and shook his shoulder lightly. "Hey, Yul, you can sleep on the bed." Yul squinted his eyes open and rubbed them, confused as to when he fell asleep. Then shook his head, "No, I don't want to sleep. I only get one day a week to see you. I can't waste it on some useless sleep," he stated, his eyelids still heavy from sleep.

Zeng pulled him up by the hand so that they both were standing. "I have to complete a presentation anyways. It'll take an hour at max. So you can sleep till then. I won't attack you if that's what you are worried about."

Yul frowned, "I never said that. I know, you are not that kind of person, Zeng ge. I trust you."

Zeng was again caught off guard with the little one's words. He said them like something casual. But again, as far as Zeng knew, as an aspirant police officer, Yul wouldn't trust just any random stranger. That means he was really trusting towards Zeng to the point of showing his vulnerable side and that made Zeng blush.

He blinked away the heat rushing to his cheeks and cleared his throat. "T-This way, I'll show you the bedroom." He dragged the sleepy person across the living room to a small bedroom, containing a study table with a pile of books, a wardrobe and a single bed, enough to occupy a single person. Yul didn't mind as it was a bit larger than the bed back at his dorm. He flopped on it without minding much. However, the sweet scent of vanilla filled his lungs, the same one that he experienced whenever Zeng got near him. The scent calmed him even more and he drifted off to dreamland.

Zeng went to the study table with his laptop. He wore his frameless spectacles and took a few books out before typing away on the keyboard.

By the time Yul opened his eyes, it had already started to get dark. He immediately came back to his senses.

"Sh!t! I slept for too long." He got off the bed but didn't find Zeng in the bedroom. The laptop he was working on was closed and laid on the table.

He came to the living room to find Zeng sleeping. He was curled up to adjust his six feet self on the small sofa. Yul felt a tug in his chest seeing this defenceless side of Zeng. He saw how Zeng's hands were drawn near his face and chest rose and fell as he respired. How long his eyelashes seemed now that those pretty eyes were closed, how his full lips were slightly parted, drawing in small breaths and how appealing the mole below his lover's lip was.

Yul shook his head to get out of the trance. He shouldn't be thinking about Zeng this way, at least not now. No matter how attracted he felt to Zeng, thinking such things about a defenceless person felt wrong to Yul. He sat near the sofa and shook Zeng to wake him up. Zeng sat up frowning, then realised it was evening.

"Oh no! Sorry, I fell asleep." He said, the remnant sleep in his eyes fled away.

Their day was wasted as such, despite being in the same house.

"It's okay, Zeng ge," Yul said without a smile because he didn't really mean it. It wasn't okay. Zeng sensed that and guilt bubbled inside his chest.

It was only an hour from Yul's curfew at the academy. They must get going. They got ready and were about to exit the front door when Yul felt a tug at the back of his shirt. He turned to see a worried Zeng behind him.

"I am really sorry. Please don't be mad. I should have woken you up but you were sleeping so peacefully and then I also felt sleepy and the sofa was empty so . . ." he tilted, "Please don't be mad, Yul di."

How can Yul be mad when Zeng was making such a face and using that voice? He sighed.

"It's okay, Zeng ge. I am not angry, just a little sad that I'll have to wait for yet another week to see you again."

Zeng grimaced. He also felt an attachment to Yul by now and not seeing each other was a bit sad, even if he wouldn't admit it openly.

He took a few steps towards Yul, standing right before him and tilted his head towards his cheek, pressing a kiss on the soft skin.

"Is this enough to make up for the loss?"

If Yul's heart wasn't confined by the rib cage, it surely would have leapt out and danced. He gulped in hopes of not making it obvious.

"Actually, not enough," he whispered to Zeng and dared to step up, "Um . . . can I . . . can I also . . .?" He trailed off before completing his sentence.

Zeng blinked twice before letting that sink in. He blushed as his brain interpreted it. Then averted his eyes before looking back at Yul and nodded hesitantly.

He closed his eyes, pursing his lips, waiting for a touch on any of his cheeks. But Yul tipped on his toes and raised his head to drop a gentle kiss on Zeng's forehead after his hand lightly brushed the hair away.

Feeling the soft lips on his forehead, Zeng opened his eyes to see a smiling Yul before him.

"Now it's enough," the younger guy stated before turning away and exited through the door. Zeng was still inside, his cheeks now a shade of deep red. He traced the area on his forehead where he had received a kiss and covered his face with both the palms while Yul, behind the door, clutched his chest tightly, trying to calm his racing heart.

Both didn't say anything as they reached the academy. Yul got out of the car and waved at Zeng who waited till Yul got inside the Academy gates and then left. The younger guy walking towards his dorm and the older guy driving his car, both of them had a strange feeling of elation that day after taking a step ahead in their unnamed relationship.