Chapter 31: The Reunion Night
Roha carried Kyle into the bedroom like he weighed nothing, which was honestly doing something for Kyle that he did not have the brainpower to unpack right then. The room was huge. A massive bed sat against the far wall, all dark sheets and soft pillows, moonlight spilling through the window over stacks of unpacked boxes.
"This bed is ridiculous," Kyle said, laughing as Roha laid him down. The mattress swallowed him whole. It felt like sinking into a cloud that had been engineered by someone with a serious budget. "Oh my god. I'm never getting up. You've ruined me for all beds."
Roha stood at the edge of the bed, looking down at him. The moonlight caught the edges of him, the sharp line of his jaw, the way his dark hair fell forward. He reached for the hem of his shirt and pulled it over his head in one smooth motion.
Kyle's breath caught. He had been so worried. So stupidly, desperately worried that the wish would have changed things, that Roha would come back softer or smaller or somehow less. But no. There it was. The same dense, corded muscle across his shoulders. The same heavy chest, the same ridged stomach, all that deep brown skin gleaming under the moonlight.
"Okay, so that's not fair," Kyle said, voice going a little breathless. "You can't just do that without warning."
"Do what?" Roha asked, but he was smiling. That rare, soft smile that Kyle had only ever seen in the dark.
"Be..." Kyle gestured vaguely at all of him. "That. All that. You know exactly what you look like."
Roha laughed, low and warm. He climbed onto the bed, bracing a hand on either side of Kyle's head, and Kyle's heart did that stupid little flip it always did when Roha got close. "I believe you had a clause about this."
"I did. I absolutely did." Kyle reached up and ran his hands over Roha's chest. The heat of his skin, the solid weight of muscle under his palms. "I was so scared you'd come back with, like, noodle arms or something."
"Noodle arms."
"Or no abs. I had a whole thing in the wish about the abs."
"I remember." Roha lowered his head and kissed him, slow and deliberate, and Kyle melted into it. "I took that clause very seriously."
"Good," Kyle mumbled against his mouth. "Good. That's good."
Roha pulled Kyle's shirt up, and Kyle lifted his arms so he could get it over his head. The cool air hit his skin, but Roha's hands were right there, warm and rough, sliding over his ribs, his chest. Roha kissed down his jaw, his throat, his collarbone. He took his time. Kyle had never known anyone who took their time like Roha did.
"You're gonna kill me," Kyle whispered.
"That would contradict the wish."
"Don't get technical with me right now."
Roha laughed against his skin, and the vibration of it went straight through Kyle. He kissed down Kyle's chest, pausing to drag his tongue over one nipple ring, and Kyle's back arched off the bed.
"Oh, fuck," Kyle gasped.
Roha did it again, slower, and Kyle dug his fingers into Roha's hair. He wanted. God, he wanted so badly, wanted everything all at once, wanted to fast-forward and also never have this end.
"My turn," Kyle said, pushing at Roha's shoulders. Roha let himself be rolled onto his back. Kyle straddled him, looking down at all that beautiful dark skin, the broad shoulders, the way the moonlight carved out every line of him.
Roha watched him. Those grey eyes with their flecks of gold, patient and hungry all at once.
Kyle leaned down and kissed him. Then he worked his way down, kissing his jaw, his neck, the hollow of his throat, the hard planes of his chest. He took his time too, because Roha deserved it, because they had all the time in the world now, and Kyle wanted to taste every inch of him.
When Kyle reached his waistband, Roha made a low sound in his chest.
"Let me," Kyle said, and he didn't wait for an answer. He got Roha's pants open and pushed them down.
Roha helped him get everything off, and then they were both naked, skin against skin, and Kyle could feel exactly how much Roha wanted him. He reached down and wrapped his hand around Roha's dick, and Roha's breath hitched.
"Kyle."
"I've got you." Kyle stroked him, slow and firm, and Roha's head fell back against the pillow. "God, I missed you. I missed you so much."
Roha pulled him up, kissing him deep and messy. Then he flipped them over, pinning Kyle beneath him, and Kyle went willingly, eagerly, wrapping his legs around Roha's waist.
"I want you inside me," Kyle said. "Now. Please."
Roha reached for the bedside table and found lube, because of course he did, because he was Roha and he was prepared. He slicked his fingers and worked Kyle open carefully, slowly, checking in with every step. Kyle pushed back against his fingers, wanting more, wanting him.
"Roha," Kyle gasped. "Please. I need you."
Roha pulled his fingers out and positioned himself. When he pushed in, slow and thick and perfect, Kyle cried out. Roha filled him completely, and Kyle swore he could feel it in his teeth. He clung to Roha's shoulders, legs tight around his waist.
"Fuck," Kyle breathed. "Fuck, yes."
Roha started to move. Gentle, strong, exactly like Kyle remembered. He set a rhythm that had Kyle seeing stars, every thrust pressing deep and perfect. Kyle was loud. He always was, could never help it, and Roha swallowed his moans with kisses, driving into him over and over.
"You feel so good," Roha said, voice rough.
"Don't stop," Kyle begged. "Don't you dare stop."
He didn't. He kept going until Kyle was trembling and oversensitive and begging for release, and then he reached between them and took Kyle in his hand, and that was it. Kyle came with a shout, clenching around Roha, and Roha followed right after, burying his face in Kyle's neck.
They lay there after, tangled up, sweaty, breathing hard. Kyle's legs were jelly. He didn't care. He ran his fingers through Roha's hair and stared at the ceiling.
"Hey," he said softly.
"Mm."
"So... what are you now? Are you still a genie? Or human?"
Roha propped himself up on one elbow, looking down at Kyle. There was that smile again, quick and playful. "Make a wish."
Kyle laughed. He pulled Roha down and kissed him. "I already have everything I want."
Kyle giggled against Roha's chest, still catching his breath. His fingers traced lazy circles over the smooth skin of Roha's shoulder.
"So what do you want?" Kyle asked, voice still a little wrecked. "Now that you're free. Now that you're Roman. Like, what's the plan?"
Roha was quiet for a moment. He shifted, pulling Kyle closer, and Kyle went willingly, tucking his head under Roha's chin. The steady thump of his heartbeat was right there, solid and real.
"This," Roha said. "I want this. I want to figure out my life with you in it."
Kyle's chest squeezed. He pressed his face into Roha's neck and breathed in. Roha smelled like soap and sweat and something warm underneath, something that was just him.
"That's a big thing to want," Kyle said, his voice coming out muffled. "I mean, historically, I'm kind of a lot."
"I know."
"Hey."
Roha laughed, that low warm sound that vibrated through his chest. Kyle felt it in his own body. He lifted his head to look at him, and there it was, that soft smile, the one Kyle had once thought he'd never see again.
"I know," Roha repeated, gentler this time. "That's why I want it."
Kyle kissed him. It was slow and unhurried, and Roha's hand came up to cup the back of his head, fingers threading through his pink hair with this tenderness that made Kyle's eyes sting a little. He pulled back before he got too sappy about it. "Okay, so full disclosure. I could get used to this. Like, really used to this. But it's gonna take me a minute to get used to calling you Roman."
Roha raised an eyebrow. "You prefer Roha?"
Kyle propped himself up on his elbows, looking down at Roha. The moonlight caught the gold flecks in his eyes, and Kyle's heart did that stupid flip again. "Don't get me wrong, Roman suits you. It really really suits you. I just... I liked you before this too. But I want to call you what you want to be called."
Roha was quiet for a long moment. His hand came up, fingers brushing Kyle's jaw, tracing the line of his cheekbone. "I've been Roman for four days now. It's... strange. Like wearing clothes that don't quite fit yet."
"So give it time."
"I am." Roha's thumb swept across Kyle's lower lip, gentle. "But I think, with you... I like hearing my old name. It feels like coming home."
Kyle's chest ached in the best way. He leaned down and kissed Roha, soft and slow, pouring everything he couldn't say into it. When he pulled back, he was smiling so hard his cheeks hurt.
"Okay," Kyle said. "Roha it is. At least when we're alone. In public you're Roman, the sexy professor with the empty apartment."
Roha laughed, the sound low and warm, and Kyle felt it rumble through his chest.
They lay there in the quiet, moonlight spilling over them. Kyle could hear the faint hum of the city outside, the distant siren, the rumble of a truck. It was so normal. So boringly, beautifully normal. He pressed closer to Roha and let himself breathe.
"So what happens tomorrow?" Kyle asked, the words coming out smaller than he meant them to.
"What do you mean?"
"I mean, like, do we just... pretend we're not together?" Kyle traced a line across Roha's chest. "When we go out with Joaquin and Nell. Do I call you Roman and act like we just met?"
Roha's hand slid down Kyle's back, settling low. "Suppose we will."
"That's messed up."
"I know." Roha kissed his forehead. "But we don't have to pretend with each other. That's the part I care about."
Kyle propped himself up. "So I can still sleep over? Kiss you? Feel you up in that ridiculous bed?"
"Any time you want."
"Okay." Kyle grinned. "I can work with that. We'll just be super secret but also basically dating, and eventually it'll be normal enough that nobody thinks twice about you staying over at my place instead."
"Exactly." Roha pulled him back down, tucking Kyle against his chest. "It'll be normal soon enough. I promise."