I opened my eyes to a familiar room. I was facing the side of Rhys’s study table, where at least five books were open and he was furiously trying to solve a sum. I stretched my arms before burying my face back in the pillow. I think he dimmed the lights but I couldn’t be sure.

I vaguely remembered hearing Daniel’s voice and him and Rhys leaving the room. I was once half conscious when I was alone. I knew I had slept for too long but I didn’t get up anyway and let sleep take me again.

Until I heard heavy footsteps enter the room. Call it instinct or what, but I jolted up straight in alert the second my mind processed them.

I had grabbed a pencil from the table before my eyes even opened and took in the person. It was only Daniel followed by Reece. Before they could see me like that, I dropped the pencil and sighed, “You guys scared me,”

Rhys grinned before pulling my cheek and Daniel hopped on the bed and plopped his head on my shoulder. I ran my hands through his hair before stretching my arms.

“You slept for four hours straight!” Rhys said, trying to straighten my mess of a hair. “Do you want to get into something comfortable?”

I nodded sleepily and Rhys opened his cupboard and handed me a tee shirt and a pair of shorts. I made my way to his bathroom and changed quickly before tying my hair up.

I stared at myself for a moment in the mirror before washing my face, trying to wipe off the make-up. I wanted to take a long warm bath, but I knew both Rhys and Daniel were waiting for me outside.

 Sighing, I made my way outside to the two of them to find them looking at something in Rhys’s phone. Once they noticed me enter, they put it away and Rhys’s eyes skimmed over my out-of-place appearance.

His tee was too loose and I had tied his shorts right below my ribs for support, so they were too short.

He covered my legs with a blanket the second I took a seat on the bed. I gave him a look but his pinned me with the sincerity and I was forced to not argue.

“What time is it?” I asked, rubbing my eyes with my palms.

“Well past midnight. Are you hungry?” Daniel asked, resting his hand over mine. I nodded hazily and Rhys presented an entire pizza to me. I almost cursed after looking at its size but didn’t restrain myself from glaring at Rhys and Daniel with wide eyes.

“We’ll help,” Rhys offered, his words tainted with laughter. Help? From what I knew they were going to eat the entire thing and present me with leftovers but I didn’t say anything.

And I was correct, they entire thing was gone by the time I was done with two slices. I didn’t expect anything else from either of them either.

“Are you still hungry?” Rhys grinned, making me smack his head. He chuckled, and I resorted to tickle him out of annoyance. 

“I am tired!” I announced once he had both of my hands captured in his and was ready to tickle me with his other hand. Mustering the sweetest face I possibly could, I smiled at him and he was forced to let go of me and let me collapse back on the pillow. “Can we sleep?”

“You don’t sleep this early on a sleepover!” Rhys complained, but nevertheless covered me entirely with a blanket. The boys rolled me over to a side trying (and failing) to not get my face bruised and Rhys lied down beside me followed by Daniel to his side who didn’t wait before taking out the lights.

The bed was humungous and so, I and Rhys has enough space between us to not make anything awkward.

It was still awkward.

“Where’s my goodnight kiss?” I asked him jokingly, making him smack my arm.

I snuggled me head onto his shoulder. His hand caressed my hair, slowly, softly, until both of us were driven to sleep.

I wasn’t sure what woke me up, or when I woke up or what even dream was. I felt a hand on my hand and shot up, gasping. It took me a moment to realise it was only Rhys’s hand.

“January?” I heard a voice call. I almost yelped as I turned towards the source of voice. It was Daniel, sitting upwards on the bed with his phone in his hand. He put it down, got up, and knelt on the floor by my side. “Nightmare?” he asked softly, taking my hands in his. I wasn’t sure what it was, all I knew is that I felt vulnerable and exposed and like someone was going to come at me.

“I am not sure!” I whispered, afraid my voice was going to attract trouble.

“What’s going on?” Came Rhys’s sleepy voice from behind me. He saw me and Daniel that was and rose dizzily. “Everything okay?”

“Scooch in!” Daniel commanded and he obeyed wordlessly. “Lie down,” his voice was gentler while talking to me. I did, and he lied on the other side of me and pulled me into his arms.

“I got you,” I curled into his embrace and felt Rhys’s faint touch and a blanket being drapped over me, and I fell asleep with my front against Daniel’s and Rhys’s against my back, feeling more safer than I ever had.

 I woke up in the morning enveloped completely in Rhys’s arms. My head was on his shoulder and his hold was strong and firm. He looked like he had just woken up, and perhaps it was his movement that disrupted my sleep.

He tried to rise but I pulled him back and asked, “Can we stay this way for five minutes?” He opened his mouth to argue but chose against it and nodded anyway.

I felt weak and not in a state to be alone, but I underestimated the warmth provided by him which immediately lulled me back to sleep.

When I finally woke up, I was snuggling into Daniel’s legs and had one of his arms wrapped around my neck as he sat on the bed and typed on his laptop.

He looked even better in the morning, with the steam of coffee mildly clouding his face and his eyes fresh and excited.

“You’re up,” he noted with turning towards me. “You aren’t looking so hot,”

“Gee, thanks,” I spoke sarcastically, sitting upright and combing my fingers through my hair.

“You know I don’t mean it that way. You can stay this way for however long you want!” he offered sincerely, looking right into my eyes. My heart skipped a beat but the after effects of the previous night helped me gather myself.

“Thanks,” I answered, but proceeded to get up anyway.

“Take it easy, okay?” he said before squeezing my arm and letting me go to the bathroom to brush my teeth. I had everything in his house: an extra toothbrush, combs, my favourite snacks, notebooks, waterproof notes for the shower, hair clips, fresh clothes, everything, basically an entire section in his wardrobe. I only wore his clothes while sleeping and used his shampoo and perfume for the fun of it.

There was no such thing as ‘overstaying our welcome’ at each other’s houses, yet I went back to mine to freshen up. Rhys and Daniel were working on a history project they had been assigned together, and I had no intention of disturbing them, or getting caught staring at Daniel.

It was not my fault I was madly in love with him and couldn’t help stare at his hot face, body-everything.

When I came back from lunch, even after vigorous knocking, there was no response.

 Sighing, I made my way inside to the two of them to find them in the weirdest ever position. Daniel was halfway down the bed and Reece was on the top of him trying to get the phone from Daniel’s hands.

“You could’ve just told me to stay out for a few minutes I wouldn’t have minded,” I said, covering my eyes dramatically.

“Just get the phone from his hands!” Rhys yelled and I bit my lips to stop myself from grinning. Daniel looked at me with plea, and normally, I would’ve helped him. I had never been able to say no to him, much less resist his otherworldly cuteness, but I was too curious to melt.

I pryed it out of his hands and he almost fell headfirst on the floor trying to keep it.

“You’re chatting with Rivika?” I asked, scrolling to see what they were talking about. Rivika was my best friend, who happened to also have a crush on Daniel.

Daniel pulled the phone out of my hands but not before I had scrolled through at least ten minutes of amateurish flirting.

“Somebody’s got a crush!” I grinned despite the horrible feeling in my stomach. There are times when you aren’t sure as to what to feel and that was one of those times.

Putting on a mask, I bit my lip. No one knew about my crush on Daniel. Rivika liked him, so I had decided to just keep it quiet. Now, everything suddenly felt too real. My feelings for him, Rivika’s feelings for him, and his feelings…for Rivika.

I was the unwanted matter there.

I was the math in the life of bio students.

Daniel put away his phone and looked sheepishly at the ground, in a manner that suggested he didn’t want to talk aout it further. Rhys got the hint and in an attempt to cover up the awkwardness, turned to me and asked, “So, are you tired or really tired?”

“Tired, but I can keep up,” I answered, winking.

“Oh, of course, after all, it is my job to load you,” Rhys’s response was enough to jerk back Daniel’s attention.

“I am leaving,” he announced, grabbing his pack, not recovering from the shock.

“We successfully traumatized Dan!” I chuckled, jumping on the bed.

“You sleepy?” he asked as I grabbed a pillow and rested my head on it.

“Who cares about sleep when you’re here?”

“When we’re here!”

“Smooth,” I smacked his chest, laughing.

“Do I get points for this?”

“You get to keep the entire scoreboard, amica mea!” Being an author I knew all the romantic phrases from different languages. And speaking them was satisfying, more so when the other person didn’t know them.

“How was yesterday, then?” he asked as I stretched my arms.

“Awesome! I got so many gifts!!”

“That’s great!” he commented, ruffling my hair. “I got you a little something, by the way!”

“Oh, thank god, I thought you forgot your gift!” I chuckled, sitting upright in excitement. Not to be a bitch or something, but I craved gifts.

I watched as he made his way across the room and pulled out a square pillow and a band. He crouched in front of me and asked for my hand.

His fingers gripped my hand softly before tying a bracelet around my wrist. “Congratulation, gorgeous,”