You wake to sunlight filtering through thin curtains, your head heavy as pieces of the night before come rushing back.

It had started with a ride. You and Aeson had taken your bikes out earlier that evening, the familiar hum of engines beneath you, the road stretching wide and open ahead.

Riding together had always been your thing, something you’d done since high school, back when you spent every spare moment side by side. He’d always been there for you. Always steady. Always someone you trusted without question.

When the ride ended, Aeson had suggested everyone come back to his place just a swim, he’d said. Cool off. Relax.

That’s when things got interesting. Alcohol stared to flowed freely. Music played. Games turned competitive and loud. Laughter echoed across the pool as the night slipped further out of focus. It was easy. Comfortable. Familiar in a way that felt almost dangerous.

The last thing you remember clearly is drunkenly agreeing that pizza was a great idea sometime around one in the morning.

Now, as you try to shift beneath the covers, you freeze. An arm is draped over you, warm, solid. A bare chest pressed against your back. The steady rise and fall of someone breathing behind you.

Slowly, carefully, you turn your head.

It’s Aeson.