When Evan opened his eyes in the morning, he was delighted to find that it hadn't all been a dream and he was actually waking up with his mate by his side.
After midnight had struck and they had watched the fireworks for a few minutes, they were getting cold, so they decided to move somewhere inside. However, instead of splitting up or going back to the Rock Pop Diner, they decided to go home with the Saunders'. And since it was still nighttime and Evan and Angie's parents were in good spirits, no one saw a problem with them spending the night at their house.
And so Evan began the new year by lying down in the same bed his soulmate was lying in for the first time. Their promise of friendship was momentarily forgotten as Ryan brought him into his embrace, and Evan fell asleep in his arms. And that was exactly how he woke up the next morning (or rather, noon).
Ryan's nose was buried between Evan's shoulder blades, his hair tickled the nape of his neck, and his fingers were entwined with Evan's as if it wasn't enough that he had his arms wrapped around Evan's torso. They were as close as they'd ever been.
The same could not be said for Angie and Michael, who decided to share Michael's bed. They both had their backs turned to the other and although his bed wasn't extremely wide, they kept a safe distance between them. And not just because there was a bucket on Angie's side by the bed for precaution.
"Good morning." Ryan's mumble alerted him to the fact that the black-haired boy was awake.
Evan took that as a hint that he could turn to face him, and though Ryan protested for a moment, thinking Evan was going to get up and leave him, he finally loosened his grip, and Evan was able to turn towards him, resting his forehead against his. They were really starting to be like Pachycephalosaurus.
"Good morning," Evan whispered back, realizing he hadn't done it right away. Even from this odd angle, he could see how those two words brought a tiny smile to Ryan's face.
"I don't think I want to get out of bed today." Even though it was still early (judging by the time they went to bed), the ink-haired boy was as sweet as ever. Evan still had no doubt that he didn't have a mean bone in his body.
"At some point, you're going to have to pee." Evan wasn't cute, and he wasn't going to pretend he was.
Ryan chuckled. Apparently, he was used to Evan's way of answering by now.
"I'd answer you, but I'm sure anything I would say would come off as a weird kink," he admitted.
"Do you have any kinks I should know about?" He questioned, though he doubted it. Evan assumed Ryan was the vanilla type when it came to sex, even though he knew absolutely nothing about his sex life. He assumed that he was a virgin just like him, from the way he'd talked about his mate before admitting that they both knew it was the other.
"Maybe. But I can't ruin the surprise for you," was Ryan's reply.
"So you're not going to tell me what to look forward to?" Evan twisted the conversation in a direction that was more than a little dangerous in the situation they were in. Even though they were in bed together, they weren't alone in the room, and there was still the fact that they hadn't even triggered their bond, let alone go any further.
"I'm sure you've got a pretty good imagination." Fortunately, Ryan didn't continue what Evan had started. In fact, they both knew that if either of them wandered their hand anywhere it wasn't supposed to for even a second, things could get messy very quickly. And not just because they were wolves. They were still inexperienced teenagers who were thirsty for knowledge.
"I swear, if you start having sex right next to me, I'm going to have to use that bucket." And so they discovered they weren't the only ones awake. From the sound of Angie's voice, it was obvious that last night had taken its toll on her, and she wasn't feeling her best. However, judging by the fact that she didn't automatically run quickly to the toilet or use said bucket, it wasn't as bad as everyone expected. Sometimes the werewolf's regenerative abilities came in handy.
"I second that." Apparently, everyone woke up at once.
And not only them. Their voices attracted another resident of the house, who was prevented by the door from joining them. So she decided to scratch at it.
"That's Marshmallow," Ryan muttered, but it didn't look like he was going to stand up to solve her problem.
"No shit, Sherlock." Michael's voice sounded as tired as his, but there was a hint of annoyance in it. Who knew how many times he must have heard Marshmallow clamouring for attention? Evan couldn't imagine suddenly hearing something scratching at his door, especially if it was at night. Maybe he was a werewolf, but he certainly wouldn't want to measure his strength against a demon.
"We should let her in," Ryan declared after a sad meow came from behind the door. He still didn't stand up, though, as if he was waiting for someone to volunteer to do it for him.
"Go for it." Evan dropped his hands from him automatically, so there was nothing stopping him from finally going to rescue his beloved white ball of fur from her misery.
The moment the door opened, Marshmallow had a clear target in her little brain. She jumped onto the bed right next to Evan, and before he could protest, she rolled onto her side next to him, partially leaning against Evan. She was his little spoon.
Of course, to Ryan, it was a dream sight.
"I think I might die," He declared. If he was a cartoon character, he would have had hearts in his eyes by now.
"Since when do you even have a cat? Did you bring her from Manvale?" Angie, even as she was recovering from her hangover, couldn't suppress her curiosity. She always had to know everything. Maybe that's why she was always able to make a plan and stick to it, even with alcohol in her blood.
"He brought her home like he was a little kid," Michael immediately snitched before Ryan could even take a breath to answer. "He literally walked up to my mom and asked her if he could keep her if he was going to take care of her."
Evan immediately started snickering. He could exactly picture it.
"No one can resist the cuteness of Marshmallow." Ryan's statement was directed at Evan, who hadn't moved since the cat had leaned against him. Ryan obviously read more into it, as a smile played on his face, which grew even bigger as he lay back down in his bed. This time, however, a white pile of fur separated him and Evan.
"I really want to pet her, but not until tomorrow. I don't think I'm getting out of bed today." Angie huffed heavily at the end of her sentence to back up her words. Evan didn't even have to see her to know she was serious. Plus, he had no doubt she'd have a few blisters on her feet that would keep her from walking from those heels she was wearing earlier.
"As long as you don't throw up on my bed." Michael seemed resigned to that and surprisingly didn't sound bothered by having to share space. Especially when they didn't have as much space on it as Evan and Ryan, who had no problem getting as close to each other as possible.
"Until then, I'll pet her for you," the owner of said cat promised, immediately sinking his hand into the white fur on her back. Marshmallow apparently more than liked that, as after a few scratches, she rolled onto her back so he could reach her belly. And of course, he cooperated. It didn't take long for the sounds of purring to pierce the silence of the room.
This was immediately followed by Angie's sudden chuckle.
"What?" Michael asked when she didn't explain her sudden amusement.
"I was just thinking that's exactly the kind of noises Evan would be making if we weren't here," she replied in an amused tone.
Evan couldn't deny her words, as he had been thinking something similar only seconds ago, and his blushing cheeks betrayed his thoughts.
Of course, it didn't take long for everyone to notice his embarrassment, and while Angie and Michael were having a good time at his expense, Ryan's gaze betrayed that he was in a similar place to Evan. They had never been in the same bed before, so they had no idea what it would feel like, and now that they were, they were glad they weren't alone. Avoiding the kiss was one thing, but avoiding sinful thoughts when the source of their temptation lay right next to them was more challenging.
"I'm beginning to think that sharing a room wasn't the best idea," Michael assessed after a moment.
"And imagine what it'll be like when they start their bond," Angie joined right in.
"Can you stop talking about us right in front of us? If you want free porn, use the internet," Evan grunted. This whole conversation had him thinking about their bond and when he would be ready to start it. The more they delayed it, the more he had no doubt that it would be the most intense thing he'd ever felt. It was enough that he knew what it felt like to have Ryan just looking at him. The idea of him kissing him...
"Awww, don't be embarrassed." Angie made nothing of his words.
"How much can we embarrass her when she finds her mate?" Ryan's question was directed at Evan, bringing a mischievous grin to his face.
"No ganging up on me," she immediately protested, but it was useless. Evan had been planning for a long time how he was going to get back at her for everything she'd teased him with. Now all he could do was hope that her mate would be happy to listen.
"Can I join?" Michael's question was followed by his groan as Angie elbowed him.
"You're supposed to be on my side," she reminded him.
"I promised something like that?" He put on a puzzled tone as if hearing something like that for the first time. And he probably was, since Michael and serious conversation didn't go together. Plus, he'd spent more time with Evan than he had with Angie, and Evan doubted that the two of them had any communication other than in person.
"He's always on my side. Sorry not sorry," Ryan interjected, continuing to stroke the white cat. Evan also eventually dared to put his hand on her soft fur, but only because his hand was brushing against Ryan's every now and then.
"We should take a picture," Ryan suddenly suggested. His idea was surprising, especially since they all looked like they'd been up late, and even the few glasses of champagne had taken their toll.
"Now?"
"Why not? We can then compare this photo a year from now on the next New Year's Day." Evan wasn't thinking that far into the future, but Ryan was obviously thinking differently and had no doubt about their future together.
"Should we take a picture with the bucket too?" Angie suggested ironically, but in the end, the bucket did end up in the photo with them. And that wasn't the only photo they took. After all four of them were satisfied with the group photo and Michael and Angie had gone downstairs to find something to eat, Ryan opened the camera on his phone again.
"I want a picture with you if that's okay," he said with an almost shy smile, waiting for Evan's response. And needless to say, Evan couldn't say no to him.
Ryan snapped a few selfies, and then something unexpected happened. Marshmallow, who had gone somewhere in the house for a while, came back and lay down between them again. Again, she lay down exactly between them, though they lay closer, and rolled onto her back just as they were lying. Ryan immediately took advantage of this and snapped another picture.
"I think we have a winner," he declared, and Evan couldn't help but agree. He would never have thought he could look so natural in a photo with his mate and cat, but it was there in black and white (actually in colour, but it sounded better that way).
"Can I?" Evan had no idea what he was asking as he was lost in thought again, but when he lifted his head and looked at what Ryan was showing him on his phone, he immediately understood his question.
"Why not," he replied, and that sealed it. Ryan had a new wallpaper on his phone.