The room smelled faintly of cheap cologne and cigarette smoke, the window cracked just enough to let the winter air drift in. Ivan lay sprawled across the mattress, his dark hair messy, a cigarette balanced loosely between his fingers. Lev sat beside him, cross-legged, his pale cheeks flushed pink, not from the cold, but from being this close.

“Your mother really thinks we’re studying?” Lev asked, his Russian accent thick and teasing as he plucked the cigarette away from Ivan’s lips and took a drag himself.

Ivan smirked, his eyes glinting. “Da. She thinks we are solving equations. And in a way… maybe we are.”

Lev coughed out a laugh, exhaling smoke toward the ceiling. “Equations, huh? With your mouth on mine?”

Before Ivan could answer, Lev leaned down and kissed him, slow and clumsy, the kind of kiss that only came from being together a month but wanting every second of it. Ivan’s hand slid to the back of Lev’s neck, pulling him closer, making the kiss deeper.

They broke apart just enough to breathe, Lev’s forehead pressed against Ivan’s. “If they find out, we are dead,” Lev whispered, though there was a mischievous grin tugging at his lips.

Ivan chuckled low. “Then we just don’t let them find out.” He snatched the cigarette back, took a drag, and kissed Lev again, smoke still lingering between them.