Jock Next Bed (BL)
Chapter 230: Room sharing

Chapter 230: Room sharing

The house was full now.

The clatter and hum of everyone settling in echoed faintly from other rooms.

Noel and Henry were bunking together. Rain and Mei, too.

Chris had miscalculated.

The house had only five rooms.

Five.

Yet, there were nine of them here.

Chris, Sky, Rachel, Wilson, Jack, Noel, Henry, Rain, and the uninvited Mei.

And what was worse?

Wilson had commandeered his room like a warlord planting a flag. And Jack, of course, had followed Wilson like a loyal foot soldier. So he was currently roomless.

Rachel had to stay in a room alone. He wasn’t that awful to make her share with the girls especially after noticing the awkward glances Rachel had shared with them before she quickly exited.

So Chris had to shuffle Rachel into what was supposed to be Wilson and Jack’s room.

Which left only one person now... without a room.

Chris.

In his own damn house.

Did he mind?

Not even a little.

He was secretly smiling to himself like a pervert who had just won the lottery—because there was only one obvious solution, and Sky wouldn’t let him sleep alone. Not after everything.

At least, he thought Sky wouldn’t.

But then—

"I can go stay with Noel and Henry," Sky said quietly, once they were alone. Sky had briefly returned to the room to freshen up and hide whatever was on his neck before going back to meet his friends and do a proper catch up before the late breakfast.

Chris blinked. "What?"

Sky didn’t meet his eyes. "I mean, it’s fine. They’ve got space."

Chris’s chest tightened a little. "Why? You don’t... you don’t want me to stay here with you?"

He hated how raw that sounded—how vulnerable. He hadn’t meant to say it like that. Hadn’t meant to ask like that.

Sky rubbed the back of his neck, avoiding eye contact. "I mean, the others are here and—"

"And it would be weird that we’re sharing a room?" Chris cut in, voice clipped. "We were roommates. We spent nights together in our dorm." He eyed Sky as he continued. "You came all the way here for me, and now you think their biggest concern is whether we’re sharing a room?"

Sky looked at him, finally. "Are you mad at me?"

Chris’s jaw tightened. "Is this because Mei’s here?" He folded his arms. "Why the hell is she even here? You told me it was over."

"And it is over," Sky said, eyes narrowing slightly. "Mei is my friend. I also didn’t know she was coming. I wouldn’t do things without telling you." Sky said defensively.

"Okay. Whatever." Chris turned toward the door. "Sleep in here. It’s your room."

He reached for the handle, but before his fingers could twist it, Sky moved—fast.

Sky reached the door in two long strides, pressing his palm flat against the wood just as Chris’s hand brushed the handle. Chris froze—shoulders tense, head bowed slightly as if he’d already been halfway through walking away.

"I’m sorry," Sky said, voice low, hesitant.

Chris turned, slowly. His eyes scanned Sky’s face, guarded but searching—like he wanted to believe the words but didn’t know how yet.

Sky didn’t look away. "You can stay here. I want you to. I mean it. I was just... nervous."

Chris exhaled through his nose, a small shift in his posture, like air leaking out of a balloon. His shoulders dropped, just barely.

But he said nothing.

Sky took a tentative step closer, gaze steady. "You’re disappointed in me, aren’t you?"

Chris leaned back against the door and folded his arms across his chest, the wood cold against his spine. His voice came out soft, flat, but heavy with everything unspoken. "I’m just going to not expect much."

Sky blinked, like the words had struck him in the chest.

"That hurts. You... You should expect much from me," he said, voice cracking slightly with urgency.

Chris gave a half-smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes. "Wishful thinking."

Sky ran a hand through his hair in frustration. "Fuck, Chris. I won’t ask you to understand me anymore—but know that I’m trying. I’m pushing myself further than I ever have. I just need a little patience."

Chris met his eyes then, and what he saw there—frustration, honesty, desperation—made something soft twist in his chest.

"I don’t like it when you’re mad at me," Sky added in a small voice. "I’m sorry. Please?"

Chris shook his head gently. "I’m not mad at you."

"But you heard my conversation with Rachel earlier, didn’t you?" Sky asked, reading him too easily.

Silence.

Sky sighed. "Figured."

Chris’s voice was quiet, tired. "Look, Sky... I invited you here because I wanted this to be simple. I wanted us to relax, be around people you like, and not have to think too hard. But if I’ve done all this and you’re still this on edge... then I don’t know what else to do. It won’t always just be me and you. There are going to be other people. I can’t promise to disappear the world for us every time."

Sky opened his mouth, but Chris raised a hand slightly—still calm, but firm.

"I get it, okay? I do. And if I’m acting like this, it’s not because I’m mad at you. It’s just... I’m frustrated. But I am patient. Or at least, I’m trying."

"You told me the other day that you weren’t a patient guy," Sky said softly, a faint teasing note in his voice.

Chris’s lips twitched. "Yeah, well... sometimes I can surprise myself."

They looked at each other in the soft silence that followed—something unspoken, fragile, but very much there.

Then, without warning, Sky leaned in.

A kiss—gentle, fleeting—landed on Chris’s lips like a question mark.

Chris froze. Not because it was unwanted. Because it was unexpected. A shift in the weather.

"What... was that?" he breathed when Sky pulled back, stunned.

Sky didn’t answer with words. He stepped in and pulled Chris into a hug—gentle, grounding. His arms wrapped around him, and Chris, surprised, found himself falling into it.