Guardian (RamKing)

Chapter Thirteen

After King finished the story, Ram and King had eaten and gotten ready for bed in relative silence. Ram appeared much calmer but was clearly thinking deeply so King left him to his thoughts. King wasn't sure if it was the right move. Maybe he should be distracting Ram or trying to get him to talk? But he decided to just keep following what his instincts told him, and that was to just be a comforting, quiet presence while Ram worked things out.

Ram finally broke the silence when King lay down in bed next to him.

"I liked your story."

"You did? I'm glad," King murmured, rolling to face Ram.

"Thank you for not pushing me."

Ram reached out and grabbed King's hand, shifting his body closer.

"I'm here when you're ready, Ram."

Ram smiled when King said that, a genuine smile that released the worrying, nauseating ache in King's stomach, letting him breathe again. With a sigh of relief, King nuzzled his nose against Ram's as he always did. It seemed that Ram was feeling much better, so King felt able to rest once again. He was surprisingly tired, probably because of the stressful day. Just as he was about to fall asleep, Ram spoke again.

"Matt was my first boyfriend."

King snapped his eyes back open, scanning Ram's face in the half-darkness. There was pain in those soulful eyes, but also determination. King hesitated before deciding not to say anything just in case it threw Ram off. Instead, he just gave Ram's hand a squeeze, to comfort him, to remind Ram that he was there.

"Our relationship wasn't, um, great and it ended very badly," Ram managed to croak out before scrunching his eyes shut, his breath trembling.

King hauled Ram's body against his chest, wrapping him in a tight hug. That action eliminated Ram's urge to try not to cry and he just let go, sobbing quietly against King. It felt both painful and cleansing to Ram. He had not allowed himself to cry about Matt since the day they had broken up. Now, it felt like a release. A release of emotions, both good and bad, that he held inside for too long and, now, finally, he could free himself in the safety of King's arms.

"That bad, huh?" King whispered, a little jokingly, trying to lift Ram's mood.

"Yeah," Ram huffed out, half-laughing half-crying.

"Thank you for telling me, Ram. You can trust me."

"There's more to tell, but I don't think I can keep going tonight," Ram murmured, pulling back a little so he could look into King's soft eyes that seemed to shine with affection and understanding.

"That's okay, I can wait. You know why?" King replied, gently wiping the tears off Ram's face, "Because I love you."

Ram blushed and his lips turned into a small grin at the edges, then he leaned forward to give King a slow kiss. It was tender and light. The kiss wasn't one that would make your heart race nor make your skin flush, but one that would make your heart feel like it was going to burst because of the emotion building up inside: love.

"I love you so much, my King," Ram breathed against King's lips.

The two exchanged a few more sweet kisses before eventually settling down to sleep in each other's warm embrace.

King woke the next morning to find himself sprawled over Ram's body. It was comfortable and he didn't feel any need to move. There was a vague worry that he might be crushing Ram, but he dismissed it. Ram was tough and it was not like King was that heavy. He propped his chin on his hand, resting on Ram's chest to watch his still sleeping boyfriend's face. The dream Ram was having must have been nice because he appeared to be smiling a little. King found he could probably keep watching Ram sleep for hours, but, unfortunately, time was not on their side. When he looked at the clock, he realised they should get up so they could get to campus on time for Ram's first and only lecture of the day.

"Ram? Hey, Ram? Wake up," King whispered, moving so he was hovering over Ram's face.

Ram slowly opened his eyes, blinking rapidly in surprise when he saw how close King's face was to his own. His sleepy brain woke up rather quickly and he decided to take advantage of the position, pulling King down for a kiss.

"Damn it, Ram," King cursed, breaking away from Ram's tempting lips, "We have to get ready to go."

"Don't wanna," Ram whined, leaning up to lick and nip at King's neck.

King was stunned. He had never heard Ram speak with such a cute tone of voice before. It seemed he still had a lot to learn about his boyfriend, though they were closer after the events of the day before. He felt like they had crossed some barrier during their conversation the previous night, and Ram was being more open. King liked it. In a slightly possessive part of his mind, he also liked that he was the only one who saw Ram's more vulnerable and cuter sides. Ram was his.

"Ram. We shouldn't skip," King began, preparing to give Ram a caring lecture on responsibility and the importance of education when he felt Ram suck on his neck, "Hey! Are you giving me hickeys?"

"Maybe," Ram smirked teasingly, running his fingers up King's back.

"You are having fun this morning, huh?" King laughed, his annoyance at the unwanted hickeys disappearing at the sight of Ram's happy face.

The corners of Ram's eyes were crinkled in delight as the eyes themselves seemed to sparkle. His wide grin showed off his teeth, conveying the joy he was feeling.

"We could have some more fun," Ram murmured in a low, sultry voice close to King's ear before gently biting the lobe.

"Ram!"

King cheeks felt like they had burst into flames, they were so hot. He knew he must look like a tomato by now. Ram's flirting was not entirely unusual, his boyfriend enjoyed teasing him, but he had never said something like this before. It went further than his standard comments and King was a little uncertain.

"Are you okay?" Ram asked, tracing King's face with his fingers.

King just nodded, pushing himself up and off Ram.

"Hey, King," Ram called gently, wrapping his arms around King's waist to stop him from getting off the bed, "Did I go too far?"

"Uh, no. I just- It surprised me."

"Always tell me whatever is on your mind, my King. I don't want to do anything that makes you uncomfortable."

King relaxed backwards against Ram. It felt like Ram had said the exact words to calm him down, even when he wasn't sure himself how he was feeling.

"I know, Ram. I trust you completely. I wasn't uncomfortable, it was unexpected though."

"Well, can I keep saying things like that?"

"Um, saying things, yes, in private," King punctuated his point about privacy by turning to point at Ram.

Ram noticed the unspoken rejection of them doing any of the things he would say. King clearly stated he only didn't mind the flirty comments but said nothing about going any further physically. This was fine, though. Ram could see King was embarrassed already, so he decided to leave that conversation for a later date when King seemed more comfortable.

"Okay, my love, my King. Are we going to campus or can we go on a date? I only have one lecture today, so I wouldn't miss much."

King agreed to go on a date, mainly because he just felt so in love with Ram in that moment. He felt so completely heard and understood by his boyfriend. It may have been a bit awkward to talk about setting boundaries for what he felt comfortable with, but once it was over, he not only felt perfectly at ease in Ram's presence but also felt like he could honestly and truly trust Ram with anything.