The room had quieted. Liora lay curled on the plush sofa, breath slow and steady, her chest rising beneath the soft blanket the boys had gently wrapped around her. Her body glowed with warmth and sleep, a soft smile still resting on her lips from the shared passion.
The two boys—Keal and Riva—exchanged a glance. There was something deep in it, something unspoken. Love, gratitude, desire. Their hands found each other's without needing words.
Riva pulled Keal close. "You okay?" he whispered, brushing strands of hair from his forehead.
Keal smiled softly, leaning his forehead against Riva's. "Only when I'm with you."
Their lips met—not rushed, but slow, reverent. A kiss that said everything they had no strength to speak aloud. Fingers caressed along bare skin, tracing familiar paths with renewed tenderness. Their bodies pressed together as if drawn by gravity, fitting as perfectly as they always had.
Riva let out a shaky breath, wrapping his arms around Keal's waist as they sank onto the wide rug by the sofa. The warmth between them deepened—not just from heat, but from years of knowing one another, years of quiet touches, loud laughter, and fierce devotion.
Keal kissed down his neck, slowly, savoring every inch, until Riva was trembling under his touch. Their breaths mingled, soft sighs and laughter shared into each other's mouths as they explored with hands, lips, and love.
"You feel like home," Riva murmured, voice heavy with emotion as his fingers slid into Keal's hair.
Keal held him close, their foreheads pressed, hearts racing. "You are my home."
They lay together like that—bodies tangled, sweat-slicked, hearts open—as the night wrapped around them like a secret. Their love wasn't just physical. It was everything.
---
The bathroom was filled with the gentle hiss of water and the soft golden glow of the lights reflecting off the tiled walls. Riva and Keal sat close together in the bathtub, warm water lapping against their skin. Liora stood under the running shower nearby, droplets sliding down her shoulders, unaware of the storm brewing between the two boys.
Keal had been unusually quiet.
"Riva…" he finally said, voice low. "I have to tell you something."
Riva turned to him slowly, sensing the weight behind those words. "What is it?"
"My family is moving out of the country," Keal whispered. "And they want me to go with them."
Riva's breath caught. His eyes searched Keal's face, waiting for a sign that it was just a bad joke—but it wasn't.
"I don't know how to live without you," Keal admitted, his voice breaking. "This… us… is everything to me."
Riva's hand gripped his tightly. "Stay with me. Stay in this apartment—we'll find a way."
"They won't let me," Keal whispered. "They think I'm too young to decide this for myself."
At that moment, Liora stepped out of the shower, her expression shifting when she saw their faces. She walked to the edge of the tub, her bare skin gleaming under the warm light, and sat down next to them, water still trickling from her hair.
"What's wrong?" she asked gently, brushing Keal's damp hair away from his forehead.
Riva explained quietly. Her lips parted, eyes filling with emotion. "You don't need to go," she said firmly, cupping Keal's cheek. "What will we do without you?"
"I don't want to go," Keal said, his voice raw. "I want you both… every second I have left with you, I want to spend it right here."
Liora slid into the tub beside them, water swirling around all three. The sadness between them turned into something more tender, more desperate—a hunger to hold on before time ran out.
They moved to the bedroom, wrapped in towels, hearts aching but burning with something deeper than fear—love.
In the quiet candlelight, Keal lay between them on the bed, Liora on one side, Riva on the other. They kissed him slowly, lovingly—Liora's lips on his, Riva's hands cradling his face. Keal trembled beneath their touch, gasping softly as their warmth pressed against him from both sides.
They made love not just with their bodies but with the pain of goodbye already lingering in the air. Riva kissed Keal's chest, his neck, while Liora pressed her forehead against his, whispering how much she loved him. Their hands moved slowly, learning every inch again as if memorizing it.
Keal's voice was soft, pleading. "Don't stop… not for a second."
The morning held them close, their bodies tangled in emotion, not just passion. This wasn't just physical—it was the desperate kind of love that comes when time is running short.
---
The soft glow of the morning light filtered through the curtains as Keal lay in the center of the bed, with Riva and Liora on either side. The three of them were wrapped in a calm silence, the weight of the moment settling gently around them. Keal's eyes drifted toward Riva, a small, wistful smile tugging at his lips.
"You know," Keal began softly, "Riva and I have known each other since school."
Liora turned her head, curiosity lighting her eyes. "Really? Tell me more."
Riva chuckled quietly, brushing a loose strand of hair behind his ear. "We were just kids back then — awkward, nervous. I remember the first time I noticed Keal. He was sitting by himself in the cafeteria, reading a book."
Keal laughed at the memory. "You were the one who actually talked to me first."
Riva's grin widened. "Yeah, I sat down beside you and asked what you were reading. You looked so serious."
Keal nodded. "And then you smiled — that shy smile. That was the moment I felt something... different."
Liora's hand found Keal's, fingers intertwining. "What about your first kiss?"
Keal's cheeks flushed softly. "It was after the school festival. We had stayed late, helping clean up. There was this quiet spot behind the gym, under the stars."
Riva took over the story, his voice gentle. "Keal was nervous — I could see it in his eyes. So I just leaned in and kissed him. It was soft, hesitant... but everything felt right."
Keal smiled, his thumb brushing over Liora's hand. "That night, we stayed up talking until dawn. We shared our hopes, fears... everything."
Liora squeezed his hand, her voice a whisper. "It's beautiful how you two found each other."
Keal and Riva exchanged a look, the kind only they understood — a mixture of love, history, and trust. Liora nestled closer, resting her head on Keal's shoulder.
"We've come a long way," Riva said quietly.
"Together," Keal agreed, wrapping an arm around both of them.
In that warm silence, the three of them found comfort — a shared story of love and connection that had only grown stronger with time.
--