Sleeping in? Kota? Victor groaned mentally. Kota only ever slept in if he wasn’t feeling well. He would have called Victor if it was bad enough he had to cancel, so maybe it was allergies. Or perhaps a headache he had already taken medicine for.
Regardless, it didn’t seem like he’d heard Victor come in. Victor smiled to himself and then tiptoed over to the bed. He rarely got a chance to spook Kota, and while he was sympathetic that he may have a headache, a little surprise wouldn’t kill him.
He positioned himself near the bed and bent a little over it.
“Hey Kota!” he said, grinning.
The body in the bed didn’t move. Not a jump or even an annoyed word about being quiet. Odd. Maybe he’d heard him coming. How disappointing that Kota heard everything.
Victor pouted. “Still sleeping? What’s wrong with you?”
Nothing again.
Maybe Kota was ignoring him. Victor positioned himself where he wouldn’t hit Kota in the groin with his knee or land on his stomach. He launched himself up, landing hard on the bed, colliding with the body underneath. He sought out wrists and grabbed them, trapping Kota under the covers.
He paused. Something was wrong. Kota’s wrists felt a little too slim, but still, he kept on top of him, thinking maybe the bulk of blanket was throwing off his senses. “Are you getting up or what?” he cooed. “The world is spinning on without you.” It was a phrase Kota had often told him when they were younger whenever Victor slept in. Kota would jump on him, too. It was about time he took some revenge.
But...why did Kota feel so small? Was his bed broken, making his body sink into the mattress? He grasped the wrists a bit more tightly, finding them too small.
Why wasn’t he moving? He wasn’t trying to even throw him off or even complain.
“Victor.” Kota’s voice spooked him, as it came from behind him, and not underneath.
Victor twisted his head around, spotting Kota across the room, a curious look on his face, and then a concerned one as he glanced down at the bed.
If he was by the door, then who was...
Victor’s heart stopped. A flash of realization shocked him, and his head rocked back. His grip tightened, but then he loosened it quickly, not wanting to harm whoever it was. Was it Jessica, Kota’s little sister? She hadn’t said anything, which wasn’t like her. What was she doing in Kota’s room?
He held his position and then carefully sat back on his heels and yanked away the blanket, expecting the small face of Kota’s sister. He was ready with an apology and hoped he hadn’t hurt her.
Underneath the blanket a wave of dirty blonde hair was draped across Kota’s pillow, and arms went up to cover a face and block out the light, but it wasn’t enough to conceal the tender, pink lips and the delicate angle of her chin.
This wasn’t Jessica. He didn’t know who it was.
Victor froze, embarrassed throughout and unsure what to do, his brain hung up on the shock of finding this girl in Kota’s bed. “Who...” He was trying to complete the question, but words were failing him.
A green eye peeked out at him from behind the arms, studying him the way he studied her. Timid, curious eyes. She had delicate, dark lashes and a tiny, button nose.
He retracted his head slightly, searching desperately for something to say.
“Victor, this is Sang,” Kota’s voice came from behind him, closer now.
Victor blinked again and again at the face, sure that this was a dream. “Uh,” he said. Then, as delicately as he could, he eased off the bed and stood up. She sat up a little more, brushing her hair away from her face. She was pretty, even with her hair messy, but she was lost in the gray shirt she wore. It didn’t give her much shape. It was hard to determine her age, but he guessed fifteen-ish.
Instinct kicked in, and his thoughts turned immediately to the teenaged girl who had jumped the wall that morning. Was this another one? But no, Kota would know right away if someone was trying to get to Victor through him. Besides, she’d clearly slept here and seemed confused; her cheeks were red, clearly embarrassed. The answer was in her eyes: She didn’t know Victor at all.
That was a relief. “What are you doing here?” he asked, and then tried to soften his voice. He didn’t mean to be so demanding. “I mean, in his bed?” His heart started beating a little faster, embarrassment finally taking over from the shock. Kota should have warned him. What would his mother say to this? Did she even know?
“She slept here,” Kota said.
Victor finally pulled his eyes away from the girl to him, stunned. Kota clearly had already been up for a few hours, although he looked a little tired with shadows under his eyes. He wore a light blue Polo shirt and jeans, ready for the day.
What perturbed Victor was that he was just so casual about it. His mom was reasonable, but even still, she may have some objection. And what about the girl’s parents? Victor shot out his hands, palms up, eyes widening. He couldn’t believe he’d bring a girlfriend here overnight and pretend like it wasn’t a big deal. The more he thought about it, the crazier it seemed. “Are you kidding me?”
“Don’t get weird,” Kota said. “And don’t tell my mom. I don’t think she’ll understand.”
Oh, great. So Kota knew he could get into trouble but didn’t care. “But why is she...”
“Kota?” Erica, Kota’s mother, called up from below. Victor clamped his mouth shut, staring wildly at Kota as she continued. “Do I hear Victor up there?”
Footsteps. His mother was coming upstairs.
Victor shared a look with Kota, and all he could see was that small bit of panic. Kota needed his help; needed to keep the girl in his bed a secret.
Victor cursed to himself silently. Kota would owe him big time for this. He charged toward the bed, while Kota went to the stairwell to distract his mother.
Victor pushed the girl back down, gently, but quickly. Her green eyes widened, but she was compliant, seeming to understand without having to be told that it was an awkward moment, and they needed to work together.
Victor eased himself onto the bed and sprawled out. She was tiny enough that if he crumpled the blanket and pillow, it might just look like he’d messed up the bed laying on it.
He swallowed, trying not to think about how he was lying on top of a girl in a bed, or how part of his back was brushed up against...
“Yes, we’re up here,” Kota said, throwing Victor one last pleading look, halting Victor’s thoughts.
Victor frowned and then tried to relax his face and not grimace. He wouldn’t give him away, of course, but Kota was sure as hell going to hear about this later.
Kota’s mom popped her head up, surveying the room, catching Victor on the bed. She smiled. Her short, dark hair was a little mussed on one side, but she seemed happy. Victor liked her a lot, much more than his own parents. She was always sweet.
“Hi, Victor,” she said, with a cheery smile.
“Hi,” he said quickly, thinking to wave but then didn’t dare move. He didn’t want to risk shifting and possibly hurting the girl, or giving away her position underneath him.
“I thought you boys could come down for breakfast,” she said. “It’s almost ready.”
“Mom,” Kota said. “Is it okay if I let Sang stay for breakfast, too?’
Victor widened his eyes and was sure he felt the girl below him shake a little. Was Kota mad? What was the point of Victor sitting on top of her if Kota was just going to give away she was there?
“Sure,” Erica said. An eyebrow went up on her oval face. “Who’s Sang?”
“She’s the girl from next door,” Kota said, not missing a beat. “The family that just moved in.”
“Oh...” she said and then scanned the room. She smiled a little, the same coy smile she used when teasing her son. “Where is she?”
Kota’s face started changing color: first, it went pale, and then a blushed a shade of pink. “In the bathroom.”
Victor thought Kota was losing it. It was always har
d for him to lie to his mother. He’d been doing fine until she’d asked a direct question.
“She came in with me,” Victor said. He didn’t like lying to her, either, but if Kota was willing to do so for the girl, there must be something going on.
Kota relaxed, throwing a thank you look to him.
Erica kept her smile and nodded. “Sounds good. Have her come down. I made eggs.”
She walked down the steps and once he heard the door close, Victor hopped up like he was on fire. He pulled the blanket away instantly, looking down at her again as if the answers he wanted would somehow appear on her face. He also wanted to make sure he didn’t bruise or upset her.
He locked eyes with her and couldn’t move, or think of anything to say as she looked back at him with green, haunted eyes.
What an introduction. He jumped on her twice and then couldn’t stop staring. He felt like he’d stepped into a dream. Had he fallen asleep at the wheel?
Finally, he tore his eyes away, looking down her body. It was the first time he noticed the pants she wore: they were blue-striped but too big for her. He was sure they were Kota’s. “Are...you wearing...”