Chapter 10

Snoring.

It was soft, drifting in the air like quiet churns of ocean water.

Valentino frowned, perplexed, eyes fluttering open. He stared up at the ceiling, feeling rested than he had in two days.

Then, he felt it.

An unnatural weight pressing on his hand.

His fingers twitched, catching the softness of silken strands. Combing through them, his tips brushed against an eerie warmth.

Flinch!

He remembered holding Nathan before he fell asleep, but the boy's hand couldn't be weighing this much.

The sheets rustled, pooling at his waist as he sat up. His eyes landed on Nathan's head that was resting on his hand, then their gaze sliced to the clock.

5:36 AM.

Well over three hours.

Valentino's eyes narrowed, annoyance crossing his emotions, but as quickly it did, it faded, giving way to awe.

How could someone manage to fall sleep in such an uncomfortable position?

He sighed, pulling his hand away carefully. The gentleness shocked even him, but his thoughts were soon distracted by something else.

Nathan hadn't changed much...

Valentino thought as he traced the boy's face under the soft glow of the lamp on the bedside table.

The image of nine-year-old Nathan was still vivid in his memories, from the times he used to hang out in his parent's house with Mikhail after school.

The boy's then features played in his mind, picture perfect, as he compared them to the present.

Chubby cheeks that were irresistible to squeeze were now high and toned, with a faint blush.

His almond-shaped blue eyes were still wide as ever, although now, they glinted with a bit of reasoning.

The tousled jet-black hair still hadn't changed.

And his rosy skin had evolved to a milky one that bruised easily.

Valentino felt a strange pressure in his chest as he took in the fading imprints of his fingers around the boy's neck.

He'd regretted it, but it wasn't something he was ready to admit.

Nathan was also a victim of the string.

His mind wandered to the night of Mikhail's and the boy's birthday party.

The devastated expression that played on Nathan's features.

The way his fingers trembled by his sides, clenching into fists as he forced himself to smile.

It was pathetic.

So much so that Valentino had felt his heart twist involuntarily.

He'd always known the boy's affection for his brother was bound by rejection.

Mikhail wasn't gay and never could be, not with Nikolai Ivanov as his father.

If he, Valentino, hadn't rebelled, he doubted he'd ever be able to taste the pleasure of swinging both ways.

Nathan hid it well. That... he could give him credit for.

Whoever watched them grow would have thought he was a great friend, but Valentino saw through the deceit.

The overly loud laughter, the clinging, the occasional gazes, the change of preferences and inheritance of hatred.

He shuddered, unable to stop the feeling of pity that was creeping into his emotions.

Nathan really was pathetic.

All the more reason to steer clear from him.

Valentino shook his head, swinging his legs off the bed. His steps were light as he entered the bathroom.

Splashing sounds filled the air as he rinsed his face at the sink. He sighed heavily, resting his hands on the ceramic.

The gravity of the situation he was in finally sunk in.

He wondered how he was going to go about the sleeping together without Mikhail finding out.

A curse slipped through his lips.

Celyn.

Valentino wiped his hands and left the bathroom, only to be met by emptiness.

Nathan had left.

He scoffed, amused.

He could almost picture how terrified the boy must have looked when he found out he wasn't still asleep in the bed.

He made a cruel note to torture him as he slid back into the bed and closed his eyes to sleep, but...

He couldn't.

Frowning, he stirred, tossed and turned, but the hazy sweetness never came, despite how sleepy he felt.

Valentino sighed in frustration, sitting upright.

Three hours was enough, according to Celyn.

That quack!

Had she gotten it wrong?

He reached for his phone and dialed her number. It rang thrice before a sleepy voice crackled from within.

"Hello?"

"Three hours wasn't enough. I can't fall back asleep," Valentino sighed, his voice gruff, but quiet.

"No way, Val."

"I held his hand for more than three hours, Celyn."

The sound of sheets rustling reached his ears, before the woman replied.

"I'll come over in the morning to check the string," she said, before Valentino hung up in annoyance.

A quack indeed.

✿⁠ ✿ ✿⁠ ✿ ✿⁠ ✿ ✿⁠ ✿

Nathan trudged the hallway, his joints aching dully. Even with many hours of sleep, a profound tiredness lingered within.

He yawned as he turned the corner, glancing round. He expected to see Valentino, but only Cheryl was in the living room.

The woman's head turned, her gaze darting to Nathan and she smiled.

"Good morning," she greeted, her Russian cadence laced with motherly warmth.

"Morning," Nathan replied.

Cheryl nodded, before pointing to the dining table where she had placed his meal.

"Ehh, food." She gestured with her hands, earning a soft chuckle from him. She reciprocated, her eyes squinting.

He wished he'd paid more attention to the Russian lessons Mikhail used to give him.

He'd have been able to speak better with Cheryl.

Nathan nodded gently and walked towards the table. He occupied a chair and quickly began eating.

Halfway through, Valentino's presence claimed the room, causing his throat to tighten.

He glanced up, taking in his expression of irritation and the tiredness in his eyes.

As though the man had noticed the boy's gaze, he shot him a glare, before he sat down across from him.

Nathan shifted, eyes falling back to his food. His throat remained tightened as he ate slowly.

"Fall asleep like that again and I'm cutting your ears," Valentino said, gravelly voice laced with too much venom for the words to be a joke.

Since when did Valentino joke?

Nathan nodded slowly, heart thumping.

Three months were too long.

Just then, Celyn walked in, panting. The woman looked like she had ran all the way, with ruffled hair and clothes.

She crashed onto the chair beside Nathan and set her bag on the table.

"Your dogs..." She wheezed and the boy's eyes widened slightly.

He glanced over at Valentino, taking in the malicious glint in his eyes, before his stomach churned.

Was she chased by his dogs?!

The air grew thick with tension at Celyn's quiet pants. Nathan's shoulders pulled inward, fear creeping in.

It was a genuine warning.

Valentino really could cut his ears.

"Explain your lack of competence," the man said, leaning against the back of his chair, with his arms folded.

Celyn shot him a glare as she ran her hands through her hair, muttering curses under her breath.

"Three hours should be enough if you both sleep, holding hands."

A flicker of surprise crossed Valentino's expression before it quickly disappeared.

Celyn sighed, nodding like she had guessed it right.

Nathan was watching Valentino sleep instead.

Except for the hour and some minutes he slept, the others were nothing.

His eyes met the man's before he quickly looked away and let out a shaky breath. He felt heat creep to his cheeks.

Would he have to sleep next to Valentino now?