I was sore.

It took me a while to understand where I was. My eyelids felt heavy as they fluttered open and I became aware of a soft mattress under me. I gazed at the cream coloured walls of my room in front of me. I took in a soft breath, wincing. My head splitting with pain. I slowly became aware of a warm presence, an arm around my waist. Just when I did, I became aware of the fact that I was naked.

My blood ran cold.

Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. What had I done?

My stomach clenched horribly as I slowly lifted my head. I wasn't naked. Just shirtless.

I slowly sat up, massaging my temple as my eyes fell on the figure laying beside me. Caleb.

Shit.

His eyes fluttered open and he smiled at me. "Hey. Morning, Easton."

My breath caught in my throat. He was naked. "What...what happened?"

He propped himself on his elbow, his hand reaching out to entwine his fingers with mine. "I think you're smart enough to know that."

My heart plummeted to my naval. "Did we have sex?"

He grinned. "I knew you were smart enough."

No fucking way. No. No. No.

"I...I was fucking passed out. What the fuck did you-?"

He yawned. "You seemed to enjoy it, Easton. You kept screaming my name."

I moved back, pressing my body against the wall. Bone-chilling terror rattled me. I couldn't breathe. "Fuck...I can't..."

I stared at him, my throat dry. My chest constricted. I couldn't believe what I had done. He gazed at me for a while before he burst out laughing. "Your face!"

I gaped at him. "What?"

He laughed harder, the melodious sound almost setting me at ease. "Shit! I'm sorry Xavier," he shook his head. "Nothing happened. You dropped a lot of ketchup on your t-shirt and removed it. And you were really hammered so I decided to wait here. I didn't realize I'd fall asleep. I'm sorry."

I pulled the bedsheet away from him forcefully. His eyes widened as he tumbled off the bed and fell on the hard ground. A savage twinge of pleasure travelled through me. I couldn't believe his vile, cruel joke. Part of me wanted to hit him, but I was pretty sure murder would get me thrown out of college.

"Ow! Is this what I get for taking care of your drunk ass?"

I leaned over the side of the bed and glared at him, recoiling at his glamorous features. "You have a twisted sense of humour Kingsley."

He chuckled. And somehow, looking at his glittering, naive, irises I couldn't help laughing.

"Sorry Xavier," he said. "But you have to admit your reaction was hilarious."

I looked at my crumpled t-shirt lying on the floor, sighing in relief. I rose to my feet, positively dragging him out of the room. He was much larger than me and I was pretty sure he was struggling only to humour me. I handed him his t-shirt and shut the door on his delighted face.

"See you in the lab, Easton!" He called, still laughing as I heard his footsteps recede. I leaned against the door, shutting my eyes and taking deep breaths. I walked over to my bed and started looking for my phone which had somehow tumbled to the floor. It had discharged completely. I sighed, connecting it to a charger and waited patiently for the screen to light up. My heart jumped to my throat. It was noon, I had missed my morning classes.

I opened the text messages and my heart seemed to fail.

You have 13 missed calls from Gray 🖤

Below it was a slew of text messages. Each of which broke my heart bit by bit.

(20:31) Hey baby, back home. call me when youre free!

(21:10) Hey, where are you? Busy?

(21:30) Xaby?

(22:00) Xaby, why arent you picking up my call? Is everything okay???

(23:30) Xaby? Hey please respond im worried

(00:15) Xaby??? hey im srsly freaking out now

(01:44) baby???? :((((

(2:30) Xavier pls respond im fucking dying

(3:30) you don't respond soon I'm coming down there

(5:55) Xaby, please, love? r u mad at me??

(7:23) Baby???

(8:00) hey, im off to work. i love you so much.

(9:15) Xaby is something has happened to you I don't know what I'll do baby

(10:00) i love you xavier

I looked at the timestamps. All of them about an hour apart. He hadn't slept the entire night. While I lay half-naked practically in the arms of a stranger.

Guilt ravaged my insides and I texted him, my fingers shaking.

im so sorry baby. call me.

I had barely returned to the home screen when my phone rang. I picked it up.

"Xavier," he gasped. "What the fuck..." he gulped. "Oh my fucking god. Were you trying to kill me?"

I sat on the bed, biting my lip. "I'm so sorry, Gray. The guys here had this sort of warm up thing and...I got really drunk."

"Oh," he was quiet for a while before he sighed. "Did you get to meet your dorm mates? Are they nice?"

I was quiet, my heart twisting. I had expected him to be angry. Somewhat annoyed. "Yeah. They're all friendly. And... really loud."

He laughed gently. My heart felt full, my chest constricting. My throat choking up as he spoke. "I'm glad that you're having fun, Xaby. I was just nervous. So you need to keep your phone with you and answer it."

"I'm sorry, Gray." I whispered, biting my lip. I knew I had been irresponsible. I couldn't understand how he was so patient with me. So kind. So caring.

"I want you to have fun, love. You don't need to apologize. I just...get a little overprotective sometimes."

I nodded, before realizing that he couldn't see me. My warmth spread through my body. An unexplainable ache in my chest.

"Do you have a hangover?"

I sighed softly, massaging my temple. "It's killing me."

There was a sharp intake of breath. "How bad is it, love? You should stay in. If I leave now-" my heart wrenched painfully. "I can get there by afternoon."

I bit my lip. It was suddenly hard to breathe. My head throbbed painfully. I felt agonized. "Gray...I miss you so much," I lay on the bed and shut my eyes, my body trembling. "I miss you, Gray."

Every time that I had come back drunk, he had taken care of me. Made sure I got home okay. I had taken good care of myself owing to the vigorous nature of my work, but he had been the one accompanying me to all the hospital visits any time that I had to. My head throbbed worse, my heart aching tangibly when I imagined his warmth. His hands caressing my face. His tender touch.

Silence fell on the other side. When he spoke, his voice trembled slightly. "I miss you too, baby."

I turned to my side, gazing despondently at the wall. "How's work?"

He sighed. "Really really fucking busy," he sighed softly. "This precinct is like the centre of everything. I never knew our city had so much crime."

"What time will you get here on Saturday?"

"In the afternoon, love. After your classes end."

I sighed deeply. "You should get here Friday," I groaned childishly when he started to protest. 

"It's okay, baby. Saturday will be here before we know it."

I bit my lip. "It's so fucking hard to stay away from you, Gray."

He was quiet. I shut my eyes, listening to his breath. Imagining laying on his chest. Feeling his warm breath on my skin as he made love to me.

"It's hard for me too, baby," he was quiet again. "Everything is alright there right? No one is...troubling you?"

I chuckled. "Gray, I was an agent for five years."

"Yes but...it makes me uneasy to have you so far out all alone," he spoke gently. I could hear the concern behind his words. I knew he tended to be a little overprotective at times, but owing to the situations I had found myself in, I could understand why. Plus, I kinda liked him pampering me. Worrying about me. I wasn't used to t.

"I know..." he sighed deeply. "Just have fun there, Xaby. And take care, alright?"

I bit my lower lip to keep it from trembling. "And for the sake of Poseidon, drink water."

I laughed. "Because he's the god of the seas?"

"Because he's the only Greek god whose name I know."

I rolled my eyes, grinning. "Your lack of knowledge on mythology is concerning."

He started to say something but a female voice I recognized as Caroline Luka's interrupted. I felt a slight twinge of annoyance and envy. I knew she was his boss but that didn't change the fact that she was lethally beautiful. 

"I have to go, baby," his voice was low, with barely masked pain that made my heart twist in agony. How was it possible to love someone so much? That when we were apart, I felt like a part of my very heart was missing. "I love you...so much, Xavier. I love you."

His words ended in a pained whisper as his facade finally crumbled. My insides filled with hot lead, my chest constricting. "I love you too."

My voice was so low that I wasn't sure he would hear it, but I know he didn't need to. I lay silently long after the line was dead, my heart aching worse than my head. Would I ever get used to the separation? Would the intensity of the longing for him ever reduce? I had been with him for months now, and yet everyday my love for him only seemed to grow stronger. My heart still racing every time we met. My heart still leaping every time he laughed. My breath still hitching every time he touched me. My body ripping asunder in fierce ecstasy every time he made love to me.

I sighed and gazed at the time. I couldn't remember what I had eaten last night and knew I should feel hungry. But somehow, my yearning was drowning out all other thoughts. I felt hungry, but it couldn't be satiated by food.

I texted Jeremiah and requested him to bring me some lunch. He texted back telling me he'll be there soon. I lay on my stomach, gazing aimlessly at the window, fantasizing about seeing Gray on Saturday and the things I would do to him.

There was a gentle knock on the door and I got to my feet, walking over to it and opening it to reveal a grinning Caleb. Thankfully, he was dressed this time.

"Whoa. Did the cat drag you in?" he grinned widely. "You look awful."

I rolled my eyes. "Wow. Thanks, Kingsley."

He laughed and to my surprise, reached over to me and messed up my hair. I glared at him reproachfully.

"I think I might know something that will take your mind off the hangover. Are you into medical stuff at all?"

I gazed at him curiously. "Like...doctor? As a profession?"

He smiled. "Sure."

I gaped at him. "I...I'd love that."

His grin widened. "My mentor is a resident at Northern Heart Hospital. You should come along. Maybe find out if you're interested in med school at all. You know-" he winked. "Like a first-hand experience."

My breath quickened. All my life, I had fantasized about wearing a white coat. It seemed utopian. "I...don't..."

He grabbed my wrist, his eyes twinkling. "You have the majors. And you have the brains. Come on, you'll love it."

I gazed at him and nodded, feeling my mood pick up slightly.

He led me to the parking lot in the basement. He unlocked his sleek, black sedan as I whispered softly. "Sweet ride, Kingsley."

He grinned at me before opening the door and sliding into the driver's seat. "Come on here."

I sat on the passenger seat and gazed outside as the car pulled out of the basement.

"Doctor Montgomery is fucking awesome," he said, looking sideways at me. "He helps me through my academics, even allows a little-" he grinned, "-leverage."

"What leverage?" I asked curiously.

"Well, he allows me to watch the tapes of the operations. Also, let me in once during a post mortem," he shuddered. "Although, that's not something I'd count under pleasant experiences."

"Do you want to get into medical someday?"

He shook his head. "Nope. Just going to stick with my molecular biology," he grinned at me. "I'm just really interested in anatomy. Plus, I think understanding the human body holds the key towards the mysteries of several diseases. Which is primarily my field of studying as well."

I gazed at him in wonder as he told me about his field. Molecular biology and protein structures.

"Well, they're also doing this new thing where they're studying mitochondrial DNA," he gazed at me. "You know it holds the key to ageing? So theoretically-"

"If we control mitochondrial DNA, it could reverse or stop ageing."

He grinned widely. "Precisely. An Indian prof I know is working on it. It's really fascinating. Could you imagine? Practically magic," his eyes glazed over for a while as he continued. "I always think science at its ultimate will transcend the border towards magic."

"That's exactly what I believe in."

He burst out laughing. I stared at him. He shook his head, the golden specks of the sun rays reflecting between his strands. His eyes twinkling happily as he spoke. "Who would've thought you were actually such a nerd?"

I grinned sheepishly. "I'm just really interested in science."

He smiled softly, his eyes trained on the road ahead. "I think it's endearing."

My phone vibrated in my pocket and I reached for it.

Scar: omgggggg where r uuuuuuuuu we neeed toooo meeettttt nerdieee boiiii

I sighed, texting her a quick reply.

Xav: text me time and place

I put the phone back in my pocket and gazed out of the window. Caleb ranted on about his field of study as I slowly realized that Caleb Kingsley might as well be the smartest guy I had ever met. He was truly passionate about his research, his eyes twinkling when he told me about it. I gazed at him in admiration. My stomach clenching slightly in guilt again.