Diesel scoffed when Quinn pulled off his shirt to reveal a collection of love bites kissing his creamy skin, littering his entire chest. Quinn just rolled his eyes at his friend's immaturity and slipped into his jumper, "Problem?"
"He does know you're not edible, right?"
"Yes." Quinn hissed back mockingly.
"He should stop biting you then." He laughed, "I still don't get the attraction of hickeys. Do you seriously like them?"
"What do you think?" He asked dryly. "And don't pretend you're not dying to get your hands on that Pup. I heard you say his name in your sleep last night."
Diesel chewed on the inside of his cheek and tried not to flush red from embarrassment. The boys were getting ready for bed, distracting themselves with each other and delaying their much needed sleep. "At least I'm not a sex addict. Isn't that all you and Samuels do?"
"We do other stuff." Quinn corrected bitterly.
"What, like give each other hickeys?"
"Like talk. We're in a proper relationship, Diesel." He argued. "Plus, I'm not usually the one to give them out." He admitted guiltily.
"Fucking hell, Starr. You like it rough, I get it."
"I do not!" He countered, his cheeks glowing red.
"Sure. Whatever you say." Diesel shrugged, peeling off his shirt and discarding it on the floor before turning over in bed.
Quinn huffed in annoyance before climbing up into his own bed, enveloping himself in the duvet and drifting off to sleep.
Kit could feel Benji's anxiety practically radiating off of the poor boy. It shone through his eyes and aided his trembling fingers. He knew he was nervous about the library opening tomorrow, but nothing he could say would soothe his nerves, "It'll be fine." He promised. "You've done a good job with the place."
Benji attempted a thankful smile as he fiddled with his sleeves. "Kit?" He questioned anxiously, "You don't have to tell me if you don't want to but...well, I was just wondering whether...if-"
"Pup." Kit cut him off. "What's up?"
"I was just thinking about...like, with Diesel and everything." He stammered incoherently. "I've never...y'know, I've never actually..." He hinted, lowering his eyes to the floor.
"Hey, Benji, you know you don't have to do anything you don't want to do." Kit said sternly. "If he tries to pressure you or-"
"No, that's not it." Benji quickly assured him. "But, like...with you and Quinn..."
Kit rose his brows, "Benji, get to the bloody point or I might just fall asleep."
"What I'm trying to say is...does it...does it hurt?"
An amused grin spread across Kit's face as he laughed at Benji's innocence. "Wouldn't know. You'd have to ask Quinn."
"But does he think it does?" He asked quietly, blushing a violent shade of red.
"It's hard to compare. Quinn kinda likes it when it hurts."
Benji's eyes widened in surprise, "What...? H-How?"
Kit chuckled again, "Look, Benji, if it hurt that much, we wouldn't still be doing it. Just make sure Diesel goes easy on you."
Benji smiled shamefully and crawled into bed, pulling the covers up to his chin and trying to soothe the shivers running up and down his spine. "G'night, Kit."
"Night, Pup."
Meanwhile, Sebastian was gently nudging Lucky, "You have your own bed."
"It's cold and they never turn the heating on. Your body heat is nice." Lucky protested.
"I might roll over and crush you in my sleep. This bed hardly fits one person." Sebastian reminded him. He was laying in the narrow twin bed, Lucky curled up with his head on his chest.
"But Sebby-"
"Don't call me that."
"What, why?" Lucky scoffed, tilting his face up to glance at Sebastian, his chin resting between his collarbones.
"Just don't." He said firmly, moving his hands away from Lucky's hair and trying to shove him back again. "I'm serious, Felix. Go to your own bed."
Lucky was taken aback by his sudden stubbornness. Just moments before, the atmosphere was light and playful, and now, it felt like Sebastian was possessed by some darker creature. Lucky hesitantly pulled away and got out of bed, "Did I do something wrong?"
"No. No, you didn't do anything wrong, just-"
"Seb, please-"
"Just go to sleep, Alex!"
Lucky froze. Icy chills flooded his body as Sebastian's words hit him. It felt like his heart had been pierced with a sharp blade and he was currently bleeding out. He felt like the dead boy. Alex was here, right now, sharing a room with Sebastian Steel. Felix Waters was the one buried below cold soil in a shadowed coffin. "What did you just call me?" He whispered.
Sebastian tensed in shock at his own words, shifting until he was sat up in bed. "I-I didn't...Felix, I swear I didn't mean-"
"N-No." Lucky interrupted thickly. "You didn't mean it, b-but you also did. Do you wish I was him?"
Sebastian stood to his full height, rubbing his cold cheeks, shaking his head to clear his scattered thoughts. "I don't wish you were him."
Lucky took a couple of steps back until his hip knocked against the cupboard. "Don't lie to me."
"I'm not lying!"
"I can't compete with a dead guy, Sebastian! How can I?"
"For fuck sake, Felix! I'm with you, aren't I?"
"What a fucking inconvenience that is, isn't it?" He snorted. "If he were alive, you wouldn't even look twice at me."
"Of course I wouldn't!" Sebastian shot back. "I loved him, Felix! Fuck it, I still do!" He growled angrily, "And you're right; if he were here, I wouldn't even look twice at you. But he's not. He's dead. So, I'm with you."
"Are you fucking serious?" Lucky's voice was dangerously quiet, his concrete eyes dangerously cold.
"You told me not to lie."
"God, you're such a fucking twat, Sebastian."
Sebastian sighed in exasperation. "It was an accident, okay? Sebby is what Alex used to call me. It reminded me of him and I made a mistake. I'm sorry."
Lucky shook his head frantically. "No. No, this isn't a mistake. Maybe calling me Alex was, but this isn't. You don't just accidentally tell someone you're only dating them because your ex is dead. Do you even like me?"
"Of course I do-"
"I don't believe you."
"Well, what the fuck do you want me to say?"
"Nothing." Lucky spat. "I'm not gonna fight you. I'm not gonna disrespect him like that."
"Felix-"
"I don't hate him for getting to you first, Sebastian. I hate you for letting me fall in love with you when you knew your heart still belonged to someone else."
Lucky leant up and grabbed his pillow and sheets, before pulling the door open and disappearing into the darkness of the corridor, ignoring Sebastian's pleas for forgiveness. After knocking erratically on the door just across the hall, Benji appeared with sleep in his eyes. Lucky just collapsed into his arms and cried into his shoulder.