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What is wrong with him?
Erik shakes his wrist, for the thousandth time it seems, hoping the number will change but the red number – zero – keeps taunting him. Erik doesn’t understand. The clock only reach zero when the owner meets their Soulmate, but Erik is alone in his bedroom. Utterly alone.
Then it hits him; he doesn’t have a Soulmate in this world. No one wants to hold him in their arms, or kiss his cold, thin lips. Tears slip over his cheeks, and Erik can’t hold his sobs. His mother is right. She always told him he’s too disgusting to be loved.
A soft knock on the window scares him, and his head jerks up to see his friend, Nadir Khan, waving to him, gesturing to open the window. Erik swipes his tears away quickly, putting a smile on his face, and jumps out of bed.
He lets him in, and he sees Nadir eyeing his wrist in curiosity. Quickly, Erik put his hand behind his back.
“Hey,” Nadir whispers. “Does that mean your clock appeared?”
“Um, yes.” Erik answers. “It did.”
A smile grows on Nadir’s face. “And? I mean, do you –”
“I’m going to meet my Soulmate over a few years.” Erik lies, his heart beating loud. He is too embarrassed to say the truth. He won’t tell anyone the truth – not his mother, even Nadir, if he needs to.
Something shifts in Nadir’s eyes, but it disappears quickly before Erik can read it, and his smile grows wider. “Oh,” he says. “That’s great!”
Erik nods. “It sure is.”
It’s not like the people Erik knows now will be in his life later. He can keep his lie going until his grave.
Oh, how wrong he is.
***
Fifteen years later.
“I hope you like roast chicken, Erik!”
“You’re a life savior.”
Erik places his mask on the little table next to his keys. He closes the door behind him, and smiles when Nadir appears right around the corner, wearing an apron. Nadir have grown into everything Erik isn’t; charismatic, athletic, sympathetic and damn attractive.
They have been friends so long Erik can remember. Nadir is the only person in Erik’s life from his sad past and Erik feels the most comfortable with him without his mask. The first time he pulled his mask off in front of Nadir was when he was thirteen. Nadir was shocked but he stayed at Erik’s side. All those years.
Erik can’t wish for a better friend.
“Damn right I am,” Nadir says, while pointing with a wooden spoon. “And say to your cat she needs to behave, before I throw her of the balcony. She keeps meowing.”
“She wants your attention.”
“The only attention she will get is my foot if she doesn’t stop.”
“You’re so –”
Loud meowing interrupts Erik, and a Siamese cat – Ayesha is her name – moves towards him. She circles around his feet, looking up to him. Erik smiles, kneeling to rub her behind the ears. She purrs.
Erik sees Nadir rolling his eyes, turning back to the kitchen. Erik picks his cat up in his arms, following Nadir. He smells the chicken, though faintly thanks to having no nose, and he gives a sigh of bliss. Nadir turns at the sound, and his eyes widen at the sight of the cat in Erik’s arms.
“No, no, out! Both of you! Disgusting, I don’t want cat hair on my food.”
“Fine, fine.”
Erik heads to the living room, where Ayesha jumps out of his arms and lands on the couch. Erik does the dining table, grabbing the cutlery and plates. Nadir places the bowl of steamed potatoes on the table first, and he eyes Erik with one brow raised up. “So,” he begins. “How were the auditions?”
“Oh Nadir, Christine was so great,” Erik smiles, while settling at the table, watching Nadir move around the kitchen. He notices that Nadir is wearing a shirt that is tighter than usual. He coughs. “She stunned everyone.”
“Oh no,” Nadir moans, while holding the pan with the chicken in it. Erik frowns at his reaction. “I already feel sorry for your employees, you will be strutting around like a damn peacock, while rubbing it in people’s faces how your student is the best.”
“I will not.”
“Yes, you will. I know you, Erik.”
“Okay, I will, but it’s their own fault for having auditions.”
Nadir sets the pan on the table, leaning towards Erik. “It’s to give people a fair chance.”
“And yet, Christine is still taking the lead, like I predicted. We could’ve made progress on my opera, but no, there has to be auditions.”
Nadir sits on his chair, across Erik. “You’re unbelievable. Let’s change the subject, now you ask how my day was.”
Erik grabs some potatoes and a bit of chicken first. “How was your day?” he drawls. He stabs with his fork in a potato, taking a bite.
“Great! Especially the part where a woman claimed I was her Soulmate during my patrol. She got aggressive when I told her no, because my clock is still ticking. It’s sad, ‘cause we had to arrest her, and I feel a bit guilty.”
Erik knows the law; if someone want to have sex with another then their Soulmate and they get caught, they’ll be put in jail for a year. It is ridiculous, if you ask Erik. His eyes stare at Nadir’s wrist, but just like Erik, he hides his clock with a wristband. Most people do, only unlocking it when they go to bed or when they meet their Soulmate.
Erik hides his because of the stupid lie he told years ago, and honest to god, he’s surprised Nadir still believes him.
Nadir – being two years older than Erik – got his clock when he turned eighteen, but he never showed his. He only tells Erik it will be a long time before he will meet his Soulmate. It is absurd, because why in god’s name shall someone like Nadir wait so long?
Erik can’t have those thoughts, especially with the law considering, but he fantasizes a lot about Nadir and him being a couple. He doesn’t understand that someone – somewhere in this world – will love Nadir more than him. That stupid, stupid guy have grown into Erik’s life, always by his side, and no matter how hard Erik fought, he fell in love with him.
“You shouldn’t feel guilty,” Erik says after a while. Nadir looks at him, chewing. “It’s not your fault she opened her stupid mouth, to an officer from all people… actually, when will you meet your Soulmate? This month? Next year?” Erik hopes he is being casual enough.
Nadir cast his eyes down, like he’s thinking. Erik thinks it is strange; how can Nadir forget the date?
“This month.” Nadir finally answers.
Erik’s heart skips a beat. They’re in December, nearing Christmas, so it won’t be long or Nadir will leave this apartment, out of Erik’s life. “Oh, I – I wouldn’t have guessed.”
“No?” Nadir put his cutlery down.
“No, most people will be excited.”
“Maybe it didn’t hit me yet. We will see when the time comes.” Nadir stands up, plate in hand. He walks to the kitchen, and without him noticing, Erik gives a little bit of chicken to Ayesha under the table.
“Erik.”
“Hm?”
“Don’t feed the cat.”
***
“More emotion behind the words ‘I can’t seem to find them’, please remember she doesn’t have a Soulmate and she can’t bear being alone, from the start!”
Erik sits back in his seat, as Reyes begins to play the piano again. Christine takes a few deep breaths, before she sings again. Erik sees her concentrate, and he smiles as she ends strong, raw anger in her voice. She surely approved since her audition. That means she practices at home, like he instructs her to do.
He claps two times, and Christine smiles wide, showing teeth.
“That was great. This is the end of your rehearsal, you can go home.” And that means he can go home, and take his mask off. It hurts his sensitive skin.
“Teacher, I have a question!” Christine yells, as Erik pushes himself up, ready to leave the opera house. He stops, and stares at his student. Reyes pushes the piano, disappearing shortly behind the curtains. Erik nods at Christine for her to continue.
His student walks off the stage, taking the little stairs and heads to Erik, who’s a bit surprised that she comes to him. She is out of breath, but she’s still smiling. “I don’t share a lot of my life but,” she blushes, when she raises her hand, taking her wristband off. Erik’s eyes grow wide. He can’t help but stare at the red numbers on her wrist. Seven days, five hours and twenty seconds. “I want to ask, what do you do when you meet your Soulmate? I’m pretty nervous.”
“Um,” Erik looks around, and they’re alone, but still he whispers, “I don’t know.”
Christine frowns. “What do you mean, you don’t know? You have a Soulmate!”
“I do not,” He raises his hand, the wristband still on. “I’m still waiting.” Another lie.
Christine looks at the wristband, and then back at Erik, her forehead puckered. “Sorry, teacher, I thought you had, with how I catch you sometimes with that middle eastern man.”
“Don’t jump into conclusion, child. I have no one yet.” Erik assures her, while his mind goes crazy. Does anyone else notice Nadir? Damn this opera house and their gossips.
“Oh bummer,” Christine sighs. “I wished you could give me advice, everybody I know of is so excited, but I don’t know… I’m scared.”
“Scared of what?” At least you have a Soulmate, Erik thinks. Then he thinks back at Nadir, how he isn’t excited in the slightest. Is he scared too? But why?
“We meet and that’s it? I fall in love, without knowing who he or she is first? Isn’t that a scary thought?”
“Dear, you get to know each other in due time, you don’t have to kiss or jump into bed with that someone right away. I’ll bet your Soulmate is just as scared.”
Christine laughs softly. “Maybe.” She puts her wristband back on.
***
It is snowing and Erik is outside, just done with doing late groceries because someone forgot. Festive lights are out in the streets, and every window is displaying Christmas decoration. Awful.
Nadir is out with his family, and Erik expects him to return home late at night, but he is proven wrong when he sees Nadir outside the apartment building with his father. It looks they’re in a heated conversation, with Nadir looking angry.
Erik walks to the entrance, hoping not to be spotted and intrude their conversation. Unfortunately, Nadir spots Erik, and raises his hand, making a move towards him. His father stops him, his hand against Nadir’s chest. He says something, and Nadir yanks his hand away.
He runs to Erik, and pushes him inside the building, closing the door before his father can reach it. “What’s going on?” Erik asks, as they head to the elevator. Nadir shrugs.
“I don’t agree with my father’s opinion, no, I don’t like him shoving his big nose in my private matters.”
The elevator pings and the door opens. They get inside, and Erik eyes Nadir. He still looks a bit agitated, so Erik approaches softly. “He found something he don’t like?”
“Yes, without my permission.” Nadir growls. “You know, it will bite in their asses for how they are acting right now.”
Erik never heard Nadir talking like this about his parents, and now he’s curious what they found about him. What is the secret he’s keeping?
***
Nadir is acting silly the next day.
Erik is reading his favorite book, taking a break from writing in his music room. That’s when Nadir decide to put on slow music for no particular reason. Erik thinks it’s nice, but he furrows his brows when Nadir dances straight pass him, with Ayesha in his arms. The cat meows.
Something is up.
Erik closes his book, his eyes following Nadir. It’s like Nadir is in his own world, his eyes closed but knowing precisely where the furniture are so he won’t bump against them. Erik rises up from the couch when Nadir comes close again, and places his hand on Nadir’s shoulder.
He stops dancing, and flutters his eyes open to see Erik. Ayesha takes this time to jump out of Nadir’s arms. “Oh, hello there.” Nadir says, his voice just as slow and deep as the music. Erik swallows at the tone of his voice.
“Hey, is there something wrong?” Erik asks, thinking back at what happened yesterday.
Nadir sways a bit, going with the flow of the music, and he holds Erik’s arm. “Why would you think that?”
“You danced with my cat.”
“Hmm,” Nadir closes his eyes again, and his hand slides down, grabbing Erik’s hand. “Had a call from my mom. Asking about my Soulmate.”
Erik process his words slowly, ‘cause the feeling of Nadir’s hand on his own distracts him a lot. “What does she have to do with your Soulmate?”
“She wants it to be an Muslim, just like my dad does, like I have a choice in my Soulmate. ‘But Nadir, the whole family is Muslim,’” Nadir mimics his mom’s voice, mocking. “I just…” Nadir clenches his hand, hurting Erik a bit. “Want my Soulmate to love me. Utterly love me.”
Erik loves him, but he isn’t Nadir’s Soulmate. He is no one’s Soulmate. “Your Soulmate will love you.” Erik says, and it hurts him to say those words. He won’t be the one holding Nadir, or kiss him every night. He hates the one who gets the chance to do that, just by simply being Nadir’s Soulmate.
But he will be happy for Nadir, ‘cause he loves him. Damn it.
He realizes suddenly that he’s swaying with Nadir, to the music, and that the guy have his eyes open again, looking at him. Panic fills Erik, and he takes a step back, away from Nadir’s warmth. “I have to write.” He says at last.
“Erik, don’t…”
Erik already turns, locking himself up in his room.
***
“Teacher, I… I met my Soulmate.”
Erik jerks up his head from his paperwork, surprised that Christine takes a seat next to him. It’s been a few days since Erik danced with Nadir – well, dance is a big word, but Erik doesn’t know a better word right now – and he had been avoiding him. He completely forgot about Christine’s Soulmate, but this is an good excuse to think about other things than his own problems.
The rehearsals are done, people grab their stuff, and walk out of the stage room.
“And?” Erik urges. “How is he or she?”
Christine slides her fingers over her single number, just like Erik’s now, and gives a sigh. “I don’t deserve him. He’s too good.”
Erik raises his eyebrows, amazed by her reaction. “No one is better than my student.”
Christine laughs softly, bumping her elbow against Erik’s. “Stop that, he is. A few days ago I was worried if I would like him, but here I am, gushing over him.”
“If it assures, he probably gushes with his friends about you… and probably more.”
“Teach!”
Erik chuckles when Christine slaps on his arm.
“Be serious, he’s studying law, and I haven’t seen a lot of his family, but I already can bet they’re filthy rich. Not to say you don’t pay me enough, sir,” Christine says quickly when Erik gives her a look. “But… I’m beneath him.”
“Nonsense!” Erik barks out. “You have a talent in singing. You can blow everyone away with your voice. That boy have to bow at your feet to be near you. Don’t give me that look, missy, you have a great talent.”
“It’s because you gave me lessons.”
“I repeat, nonsense! I only pushed you, reach your limits, but all that hard work, is you, dear. Not mine.”
Christine blinks a few seconds, before she leans in, giving a kiss on the cheek of Erik’s mask. Erik leans back, away from the touch. He’s shocked by her approach, and he’s happy they’re alone. He only can imagine the filthy rumors.
Christine sticks her tongue out, in a playful manner. “You act like you never got a kiss on the cheek. Hey, I have to go. I’m having a date in an hour. Wish me luck.”
Christine rises up, waving to Erik as she leaves the room. Erik waves back.
“Good luck.”
***
Nadir is asleep on the couch, with Ayesha lying on his stomach. His hand is near the cat, showing that he had petted her, before passing out. The television is on, showing the news. Erik snorts at the scene in front of him, but he grabs a blanket out the closet. He picks Ayesha with his free arm, dropping her on the floor. She gives a little meow, annoyed.
Erik throws the blanket over Nadir gently, and stares at his friend’s face. He looks peaceful, his mouth slightly open, little snores escaping pass his lips. With no thought, Erik leans in and presses his lips softly on Nadir’s forehead. He pulls back, panic settling in but with relief he sees that Nadir doesn’t stir in his sleep, or is awaken by the touch of his lips.
He goes to the kitchen to make something small for himself – a simple sandwich with a lot of cheese – and settles alone on the dining table. He should be locked up with that lady Nadir talked about.
***
Erik hates the number zero.
He sits on the couch, Ayesha asleep on his lap and television on, but thoughts occupy his mind. Nadir is not home, having a night patrol with his co-worker Darius.
For many, zero is an exciting number, time to know who your Soulmate is. Erik had hoped that in time, he would’ve accepted his fate, but every day he gets more sad at the sight of couples or angry at the taunting number on his wrist.
You’re a disgusting fool, his mother’s voice mocks in his head. To actually have hope that someone will love you. That someone will touch your disgusting skin.
No, Erik thinks. Go away.
Everybody hates you. Nadir will leave you, the voice continues. He will find his Soulmate soon.
Nadir will find his Soulmate, Erik realizes, his eyes widening, and he’ll be in love with them. Their feelings will be mutual. When that happens, he can’t be with Nadir anymore. He won’t wake up to Nadir’s awful singing early in the morning. He won’t smell his delicious food when he returns home. He won’t be the one walking beside Nadir, holding his hand like couples do.
I don’t want that, Erik thinks selfishly. He loves Nadir so much, he wants to be the one who wakes next to him.
Erik gives a yell in frustration, waking Ayesha. She stares at him irritated, like she can’t believe he woke her up. Frustration builds up, and Erik looks at his wristband. He opens it, the red number immediately sours on his eyes. He slides his nails over it, then pushes in it, drawing a little bit of blood.
Erik hisses, but it pleases him how the number disappears under the blood. Suddenly, Ayesha gives a hiss to Erik, her paws pushing the other hand away. “Hey!” Erik says, but the cat drops herself over the wrist, looking stubborn.
He pulls his arm back, raising it, but Ayesha doesn’t give up, as she follows it, standing on her hind legs.
Warmth bubbles up in Erik’s chest, and he gives a short laugh. He drops his arm, as Ayesha pushes her wet tiny nose against Erik’s cheek, purring. “At least someone loves me back.” Erik chokes. Ayesha meows.
***
Erik hears angry yelling when he opens the door to his apartment after a long day at work, and he recognizes the voices. He closes the door immediately for not to attract attention from his neighbors, and takes huge steps to the living room. He sees Mrs. Khan on the couch, her face red in anger. Nadir is standing, his back to his mother and Erik. They haven’t noticed him yet.
“Your Soulmate is to be Muslim, don’t be stupid, Nadir!” Mrs. Khan says, her accent thick. She’s fiddling with the ends of her hijab, clearly nervous but angry too. “Not him! He’s not Muslim, and if he was your Soulmate, his clock would have stopped, no? But it is still sticking!”
“It does n –” Nadir spins around and stops when he sees Erik. “Oh.”
His mother turns too, her eyes narrowed to crinkled slits. Why does Erik get the feeling the conversation is about him? Or is he imagining it? Probably.
“Ignore me.” He says dryly, and he makes a move towards his music room, but sees from the corner of his eye Mrs. Khan pushing herself up from the couch, tears in her hazel brown eyes.
“So, you won’t listen to me? Going against your family? Your beliefs?”
“My beliefs,” Nadir hisses. “Has nothing to do with this! I’m a good Muslim! You’re the one pushing me away over something I can’t control.”
Mrs. Khan sniffs and walks away, passing Erik, not sparing him a glance. Erik hears the door slam, and sees Nadir taking a seat on the couch, his head in his hands. His shoulders are shaking. Erik doesn’t want to ask questions yet, so he goes to the kitchen to make tea.
With the tea done, he walks back to the living room and places the cup across Nadir, who looks up. His eyes are red, and swollen, but he still smiles at seeing the cup. “Thank you.” He croaks.
“Do you want to talk?” Erik asks finally. He wants to place his hand on Nadir’s back, to calm him somehow but he’s afraid of the reaction it will cause.
“I… um, can I think first? It’s getting too much.” Nadir answers.
Rest of the night is quiet, with Erik working in his music room, though you can call it a small library, with how many books he has lying here. He’s writing, but his thoughts are somewhere else, as usual. How Mrs. Khan did not spare a glance at him. What was Nadir going to say before he saw Erik?
Why does Mrs. Khan act like she already knows Nadir’s Soulmate?
Erik sighs, placing his elbow on the table so he can rest his forehead against the palm of his hand.
“You work so hard.” A small whisper by his ear, and before Erik can react, hands are on his bony shoulders, massaging him. Erik tenses immediately, and he whips his head to see Nadir behind him.
Nadir smiles softly, not pulling his hands back, even kneading harder in the muscles. Erik can’t help but moan a little, relaxing already. He chokes when the hands goes up to his neck, touching skin. His heart hammers in his chest, and Erik bites his lip to suppress another moan. He closes his eyes, giving in.
Friends don’t do this, Erik thinks. They don’t touch each other this way, or maybe they do, and Erik is overreacting. He has the tendency to do that.
The hands disappear, and Erik leans back, not wanting to end it yet. His eyes open as he feels wet lips against the shell of his ear. Erik is frozen, not daring to move, and he gives a shaking inhale as Nadir pulls his shirt over his shoulder. He plants a light kiss on the curve where neck meets shoulder, as if he’s still waiting for Erik’s approval.
Erik arches his neck to the left, giving Nadir permission. He hears a whimpering “Yes,” beneath his ear, and then there’s more kisses on his skin, but firm now. Nadir slips his hand under Erik’s open collar, pressing against his chest. Erik looks down at the hand, sees the wristband and it’s like someone throw a bucket of cold water over him.
“No!”
The chair scrapes on the floor as Erik pushes Nadir off of him, turning around in anger. Nadir looks bewildered by his reaction. “What are you doing!” Erik roars. “You have a Soulmate somewhere!”
Nadir doesn’t answer immediately, looking down at the floor. Then he opens his wristband, and Erik shakes his head – no, he doesn’t want to know, but yet he stares, just like with Christine. Nadir lifts his hand up, his wrist to Erik, and there’s only one number; zero.
“It’s been like this since I was eighteen.” Nadir says, his voice calm. “It happened during my party, there were a lot of people, do you remember? My first thought was that my Soulmate was at my party. It couldn’t be any of my family members, ugh the thought alone, so I went through my friends of school, but no one, and then there was you, in a corner. Wishing to flee the party, but you stayed because it was my birthday.”
Nadir looks up again, his eyes wet. “You were sixteen then, still no clock on your wrist, and you know what? I didn’t mind it was you. I could wait for you when you do have your clock. But then… you turned eighteen, and you said you had a clock ticking. I'd never felt more miserable than that night. I was convinced it was you, and I had all sort of thoughts. If you weren’t my Soulmate, then why was I hurting?”
He licks his lips, thinking about his next words. “I… I, um, my parents found out. They thought it was way too long for me to be waiting. My dad ripped my wristband, and the rest is history. They are convinced it is the lovely Fatma from high school, but I said they were wrong, and that it was you… but your clock still ticks.” Nadir sniffs, tears running down his cheeks.
Erik can’t hear it anymore, or see Nadir sad, so he pulls his wristband off, letting Nadir see his number. The red scratches are still there from last night, but the number is recognizable. Nadir stares, his eyes getting wider by the second. “W-what? What does that mean? What happened to your –”
“You,” Erik says, his voice a bit cold. “said to everyone your clock is ticking. When it was my turn, I stayed up the whole night and when my clock didn’t tick, I didn’t think it was a possibility that it could be you, because you –” Erik towers over Nadir, who takes a step back. “– lied!”
“You lied too!” Nadir defends. “You said your clock was ticking!”
“I thought I had no Soulmate! It’s unheard of in this world, so yeah, I lied! Everybody thinks so too, how can someone like me have a Soulmate, with how ugly I am.”
“Well, they’re wrong, aren’t they, because here I am, I am your Soulmate.”
His Soulmate.
A warm, light feeling replaces the anger in his chest, and he waits, looking down at Nadir. He waits for the usual panic, and the doubt that follows, but it never comes as Nadir stands up on his toes. He presses his lips against Erik’s, ever so slightly. Erik kisses back immediately, and desperate, his hand in Nadir’s curly hair.
He waited so long.
Nadir flicks his tongue against Erik’s thin lips, his beard scraping against his sensitive skin. He loops his arms over Erik’s neck, pulling him down so their kiss deepens. Erik moans in the kiss, opening his mouth, and feels Nadir’s tongue against his own. Erik allows himself to be pulled in, his body solid against Nadir’s warm body.
Nadir is the first to break the kiss, his breath warm against Erik’s cheek. He drops his arms and wraps it around Erik’s waist. Erik feels Nadir grin widely. “I want to,” he plants another kiss on Erik’s bare shoulder. “Treat you so good.” Kisses under his ear, and Erik hums in pleasure. “My Soulmate, oh Allah, you’re mine, if you want to, please, let me have you.”
“Yes,” Erik hums. “I’m yours, so long you’re mine too.”
Nadir answers him with a kiss.
***
The next day Erik calls sick to his work, and Nadir does the same. They stay in bed, their bodies sweaty and Erik loves the noises Nadir makes beneath him. Erik rolls his hips teasingly, and moans as Nadir shifts his own hips, his cock going deeper in Erik.
Nadir thrusts hard, his hands holding Erik’s hips, holding him still. Erik can only moan, his coherent thoughts gone, and he gives Nadir messy kisses between. “Joon-am,” Nadir groans, his nails scratching Erik’s skin. “Asheghetam.”
Erik comes first, with how Nadir thrust against his prostate over and over. He gasps Nadir’s name, and Nadir moves, dragging Erik with him. Erik is on his back before he knows it, his legs spread with Nadir between them and Nadir gives a soft kiss on the corner of his eye. They are chest to chest, and hips to thighs, with Erik being longer than Nadir.
Nadir stretches out, so Erik tucks under him, giving Nadir the chance to enter him again. Nadir goes slowly, for not to hurt Erik. He leans in, kissing Erik on the mouth. “Sheereen-am.” He growls.
Erik blushes crimson. “Stop calling me those names.”
Nadir have a dopey-ass grin on his face, and Erik can’t help but think it’s adorable. “Aziz-am.” Nadir teases again.
“Delbar-am.” Erik says smugly, though his heart hammers hard by saying that. Nadir’s eyes grow wide, his mouth slightly open. “Nadir, I –” Erik gets cuts off by a pair of lips, pressing against his. Nadir thrusts hard again, and this time the bed creaks beneath them.
Erik opens his mouth, letting their tongues meet and slip. He spread his legs more, loving how open he can be with Nadir, and not be judged. Nadir takes the hint, and grabs his parted legs, using them to get in better position. He hits him harder, and Erik gives a yell in delight.
“Is this good?” Nadir asks, his voice husky. “Do you love it?”
He rolls his hips, and Erik chokes. He slides his hands to Nadir’s hips, urging him on. “Y-yes, please,” he moans. “I love it.”
Nadir’s thrusts are frantic, but short, now. Erik takes sharp little inhales, and throws his head back in the pillow, his neck vulnerable. Nadir’s hips stutters, and Erik knows he’s close. “Nadir, Asheghetam…”
Nadir moans, and places his forehead against Erik’s chest, his hips firm against Erik’s ass, as he comes deep. His thighs clench, and Erik plants his feet back on the bed, feeling exhausted. Nadir pulls back, a satisfied smile on his face. Erik rolls his eyes at him.
“So,” Nadir says, his smile getting wider. “Was I good?”
“Oh god, get off me, daring to fish for compliments –” Nadir kisses him, interrupting his sentence. Erik flutters his eyes closed, smiling against Nadir’s lips. “Okay, you bastard, you were good.”
Nadir grins.
They leave the bed when their stomachs begin to rumble. Erik freshens himself up first in the shower, while Nadir makes a mean omelet in the kitchen. The whole day is spent lazy, only dressed in bathrobes, as they catch up with lost times. Erik got several messages on his phone – all from Christine – asking if he’s okay. Erik replies with one message, that he’ll be back tomorrow.
In the evening, Nadir got a call from both his parents, but he ignores them. They both watch a movie, well, Nadir watches a movie and Erik is lying on top of him, his eyes closed. He loves the warmth against his skin, and the soft rumble against his ear as Nadir chuckles.
Fingers touch his wrist, and Erik looks up lazily. He sees Nadir gazing at his wrist, at the scratches, and Erik tries to pull his hand back, but his Soulmate doesn’t let him. He puts his lips against Erik’s wrist, kissing it. Erik looks away, his eyes on the movie. He doesn’t know why, but he feels ashamed.
Nadir keeps kissing his wrist, and Erik’s heart is beating loudly in his chest. Nadir doesn’t say anything, doesn’t ask questions, he just keeps kissing. Tears slip Erik’s eyes.
He feels Nadir shift under him, and suddenly his lips are on Erik’s.
Soon enough, they both forgot to watch the movie.
***
“Teacher, you’re not wearing your wristband… oh my god!” Christine slaps her hand on Erik’s arm in excitement. She squeals, making small jumps. Her curly hair bounces up and down. “Oh my god!”
“Stop that! Everybody is staring!” Erik hisses.
They’re standing outside Palais Garnier, at the entrance, snow falling heavily. It’s dark outside, and for once, Erik enjoys the Christmas lights. Erik stood alone here first, before he got attacked by Christine. The young woman still giggles.
“You were not sick yesterday, you were too busy being all kissy-kissy.” Christine pouts her lips forward, making kissing sounds. “Nah-ah, you don’t fool me.”
“Shall I be jealous?”
Erik smiles at hearing Nadir’s voice, and he turns a side to see his Soulmate walking to him. His Soulmate. His.
Nadir is wearing a grin, showing that he’s teasing Christine, but yet he gives Erik a kiss that’s longer than normal. Christine looks from Erik to Nadir, an eyebrow raised in confusion. “Wait,” she says, pointing to Erik. “You said he wasn’t your Soulmate when I said he was.”
“I was a fool.” Erik answers. He grabs Nadir’s hand, their fingers intertwined. “If you excuse us, we go on a walk.”
“Sure, be disgusting with each other, I won’t disturb it.”
“I’m still your boss, Christine.”
Christine giggles, and she waves as they walk away. They’re still holding hands as they walk the busy streets, and goddamn it, Erik won’t cry upon realizing that this is what he wanted for so long. Just a nice walk with his Soulmate.
“I talked with my parents.” Nadir says, as he stops to look at a window display. The owner of the shop build a little Christmas village. “And I explained our story. They understand, and they will try to accept you.”
“That sounds too easy.” Erik notices, looking at Nadir in the window.
“Yeah… we will see how it goes.” Nadir squeezes Erik’s hand. “But don’t be afraid, I won’t leave you.”
“I’m not afraid.”
“Yes, you were. I know you, Erik.”
“Okay, maybe a little, but can you –” Erik stops as Nadir gives him a stern look.
“I love you too much to let you go now, Erik. Now I have you.”
Nadir pulls on Erik’s collar, dragging him down to kiss him. Erik smiles into the kiss, feeling happy.