Fuck.
Fuck. Fuck. My eyes.
The sun was peeking through the curtains, its rays stabbing at my eyes like a beam of light. I rubbed my eyes, trying to banish the sleep and the light. As I blinked away the grogginess, I noticed Kai was already awake, sitting on the couch and staring out the window.
"Morning," I mumbled, my voice still thick with sleep.
"Morning," Kai replied, turning to look at me. There was a hint of exhaustion in his eyes, as if he hadn't slept at all.
I hesitated for a moment, unsure of what to say. I had never expected to find myself in this situation, with a virtual stranger sleeping on my couch and a mysterious masked man haunting my thoughts.
"Did you...sleep okay?" I asked, gesturing awkwardly toward the couch.
Kai shrugged, a faint smile playing on his lips. "Fine."
I nodded, not sure how to continue the conversation. The events of the previous night weighed heavily on my mind, but I didn't know if Kai was ready to talk about them yet.
"Listen, about last night..." I began, but Kai held up a hand, cutting me off.
"No need to explain," he said, his tone curt and dismissive.
Jeez, what's wrong with him?
I felt a pang of guilt at his words. Despite my reservations, Kai had proven to be nothing but kind and respectful since we had met.
"No, it's not that," I said, sitting down next to him on the couch. "It's just...last night was...unexpected."
Our arms brushed against each other, his firm, sculpted biceps contrasting sharply with my own slender, less defined ones. Despite the casual contact, Kai seemed unbothered, his broad shoulders and muscular frame taking up more than his fair share of the couch. His presence was overwhelming, yet not in an intimidating way.
His mask, hiding the lower half of his face, only served to draw my attention to his eyes, which were focused intently on the floor. The veins on his forearms stood out as he clenched and unclenched his fists, hinting at the raw strength beneath his skin.
Oh, Mon Dieu, he got those veins visible through his shirt.
I couldn't help but notice the way his shirt stretched tautly over his well-defined pecs, a testament to his physical prowess.
Kai nodded, his gaze fixed on the floor. "I understand."
I wanted to press him for more information, to unravel the mystery that surrounded him, but I knew that he needed time.
Kai sat with a confident man spread, his muscular arms stretching the fabric of his black t-shirt. Clad entirely in black - from his shirt to his pants, belt, mask, and shoes - he presented a mysterious figure, with only his eyes visible. As he gazed out, his eyes hidden behind the mask, I couldn't help but wonder what thoughts were running through his mind. Was he thinking about the men who had chased him? About the events of the night before? His expression gave nothing away, leaving me to ponder the secrets that lay behind his masked facade.
God knows that I love the way men sit in man spread. I titled my head and put my finger on my lip.
And stopped.
Silence hung heavy in the air between us, the weight of unspoken words pressing down on me. I watched Kai as he sat there, his gaze still fixed on the floor, lost in his thoughts. I couldn't shake the feeling that there was more to him than met the eye, that beneath his cold exterior lay a story waiting to be told.
"Is there anything you need?" I asked, breaking the silence. "I could make you some breakfast or..."
Kai shook his head, cutting me off once again. "I'm fine, thank you."
I nodded, not wanting to push him further. Instead, I sat there in silence, the minutes ticking by slowly.
A sudden knock at the door startled me, breaking the tense atmosphere. Vicky's voice called out, muffled but clear. "Hey? Are you awake?"
I hesitated for a moment, puzzled by Vicky's unusual behavior. She and I didn't normally talk in the morning, let alone try to wake each other up. Our relationship was...strained, to say the least. We had had a particularly nasty fight just yesterday in our workplace, exchanging harsh words and icy glares in front of our coworkers.
The fight had started over something serious this time. I had caught Vicky flirting shamelessly with our boss, using her charm to get ahead in the company. It wasn't the first time she had done something like this, but it was the first time I had called her out on it.
"Uh? Vicky doesn't normally talk to me in the morning," I muttered to Kai, more to myself than to him. "We both hate each other, so why would she try to wake me up..."
Kai raised an eyebrow, clearly intrigued by this new piece of information about my relationship with my roommate. "Trouble in paradise?" he asked, a teasing smile playing on his lips.
I rolled my eyes, refusing to dignify his question with a response. Instead, I got up from the couch, trying to sound alert as I called out to Vicky. "Yeah, I'm up," I replied, moving towards the door.
I opened the door just a crack, enough to signal to Vicky that I was indeed awake, but not enough to let her see Kai on the couch. She seemed to get the message, nodding and heading off to the kitchen without another word.
I turned back to Kai, who was still sitting on the couch, unmoved. "You should hide," I whispered urgently.
Kai shook his head, a stubborn look on his face. "I'm not hiding," he said firmly, crossing his arms in front of his chest. He looks like he is fed up with me.
I sighed, knowing it was pointless to argue with him. "Fine, suit yourself," I muttered, making my way back to my bed.
"I should go," he said, his voice breaking through the awkward silence.
I felt a pang of disappointment at his words, though I couldn't say why. "Oh, okay," I replied, trying to hide my disappointment.
But before Kai could make it to the door, I realized that my roommate was in the kitchen, just a few steps away. I couldn't let her see him.
"Wait, you can't. My roommate is in the kitchen," I blurted out, panic rising in my chest. "I can help you."
Kai turned back to me, curiosity flickering in his eyes. "How?"
I quickly formulated a plan. "You go to the front door quietly, and I'll distract her. When I make a sound, that'll be your cue to open and close the door. Got it?"
Kai nodded, a hint of amusement dancing in his eyes. "Sounds like a plan."
I took a deep breath, steeling myself for the task ahead. As Kai slipped past me and made his way to the front door, I headed to the kitchen to face Vicky, praying that my plan would work.
I hesitated for a moment, unsure of how to start a conversation with Vicky after our fight. She was standing at the kitchen counter, pouring herself a cup of coffee, completely unaware of the drama unfolding in our apartment.
"Hey, Vicky," I said, trying to sound casual.
She turned to me, a surprised expression on her face. "Oh, hey, Lena. I didn't expect to see you up so early."
"Yeah, well, I couldn't sleep," I replied, forcing a smile. "Listen, about yesterday..."
Vicky raised an eyebrow, clearly puzzled by my sudden change in attitude. "What about yesterday?"
I took a deep breath, trying to find the right words. "I just wanted to say...I'm sorry. For what I said. I didn't mean it."
Vicky's expression softened, and she set her coffee cup down on the counter. "It's okay, Lena. I know we've had our differences, but we're still roommates. We should try to get along."
I nodded, relieved that she was willing to forgive me. "Yeah, you're right. I'll try to be better."
Just then, I heard a faint sound from the living room, followed by the soft click of the front door closing. My heart skipped a beat as I realized that Kai had managed to leave without being detected.
"Hey, did you hear that?" Vicky asked, her brow furrowing in confusion.
I shook my head, trying to hide my nervousness. "No, must have been nothing."
Vicky's curiosity got the better of her, and she decided to check out the noise from the living room. I panicked, realizing that Kai might be caught if she found him. I quickly grabbed her arm, stopping her in her tracks.
"It's nothing, don't worry about it," I said, trying to sound convincing. "We're just having our deep conversation."
Vicky looked at me, suspicion evident in her eyes. "Okay..."
I let go of her arm, praying that she would drop the subject. But as she turned back to her coffee, I knew that I would have to be extra careful from now on. Kai's presence in our apartment was a secret that could not afford to be revealed.
Despite my efforts to distract her, her curiosity really got her. She quickly made her way to the living room, and when she saw Kai, she let out a piercing scream.
"What the hell, Lena? Who is this?" Vicky demanded, her eyes wide with shock.
I felt a knot form in my stomach as I tried to come up with a plausible explanation. "He's...uh...he's a friend. I didn't want to wake you, so we were keeping it down."
Vicky looked at Kai, who stood frozen in place, his eyes wide with surprise. "A friend? Why haven't I ever seen him before?"
"And why is he wearing a mask?" Vicky added, her suspicion growing by the second.
"He...uh...he has a medical condition," I blurted out, hoping she would buy the lie. "It's...it's something he's self-conscious about, so he prefers to keep it covered."
I could see the questions forming in Vicky's mind, and I knew that I had to think fast. "He's...new in town. I met him recently, and he needed a place to stay for the night."
Vicky's eyes narrowed, clearly not buying my story. "And you couldn't have told me this before?"
Vicky's eyes widened, and a mischievous grin spread across her face. "Oh, I think I know what's going on here. You guys had sex yesterday, didn't you?"
Me and Kai, we both said "What!"
"No!" I exclaimed, my face flushing with embarrassment. "We didn't—"
But Vicky interrupted me, waving her hand dismissively. "It's okay, Lena. I won't tell anyone. I heard voices last night, so I wasn't exactly sleeping. What a good thing to know that you have a kink for masks."
I felt my cheeks grow even hotter as I tried to find the right words to explain. "No, Vicky, it's not like that. Kai...he just needed a place to stay for the night. That's all."
Vicky raised an eyebrow, clearly not convinced. "Uh-huh, sure, Lena. Whatever you say."
I sighed, knowing that Vicky wouldn't let this go anytime soon. But for now, I was just grateful that she hadn't discovered the real reason behind Kai's mask.
As Vicky headed back to the kitchen, I turned to Kai, who was still standing in the middle of the room, looking unsure of what to do next.
"Looks like our secret's out," I said, trying to lighten the mood.
Kai managed a weak smile. "Yeah."
He paused for a moment before continuing, his voice soft. "Thank you, Lena."
And then he was gone, leaving me alone with my thoughts. As I watched him open the door and disappear, I couldn't help but wonder what secrets he was hiding, and what role I would play in unraveling them.
Ugh, well that was a lot in the morning. I need a drink. I don't give a fuck, I need wine.
After pouring myself a glass of wine and settling down, something caught my eye: his fucking helmet was still here. He had forgotten to take it with him.
Oh god.
Vicky, always the nosy roommate, couldn't help but comment. "So is he your one-night stand or..."
I rolled my eyes. "For god's sake, Victoria, we never had sex."
Vicky finally seemed to believe me. "Fine, I'll stop. Aren't you going to give that helmet back to him?"
"I don't know," I replied truthfully.
"What do you mean you don't know?" Vicky asked, sitting down next to me and eyeing my glass of wine. "Seriously, it's morning!"
"Let me have this, I'm just so stressed," I defended, taking another sip.
"Yeah, I can see that," she relented.
I sighed, feeling the weight of the morning pressing down on me. "I don't know how to give it to him."
"Isn't he your friend?" Vicky asked, stating the obvious.
Oh shit, yeah that's a lie. I hesitated, unsure of how to answer. Was he still a friend after last night? Or was this just his usual self, cold and distant? It didn't matter now; he was gone.
"I don't know about that either," I admitted, staring into my wine glass, longing for the comfort of his familiar eyes. God, I miss those blue eyes.
I want to keep it.