Waking up embarrassed!

You woke with a sharp inhale, the kind that snapped you out of a dream so vivid you could still feel the phantom warmth of hands on your hips, legs, crotch and ass, a breath on your neck, voices murmuring praise against your skin. Your heart was pounding, your cheeks hot, and for a second you didn’t know where you were.

Then the faint tapping of a phone screen brought you back.

Jamal was still in his bed, propped up against his pillow, one big arm behind his head showing of his thick biceps while his other thumb lazily scrolled through messages. Morning light caught on the smooth planes of his dark skinned chest and collarbone, his skin warm and golden. His expression was calm, relaxed, and because of that, you prayed to every god that existed that you hadn’t made a embarrassing sound in your vivid sleep.

You swallowed hard, suddenly hyper-aware of how breathless and hard you still were.

You didn’t dare ask.

You weren't sure you wanted the answer.

Jamal didn’t look over, but the corner of his mouth curved, subtly, knowingly. He definitely had heard the lewd sounds you made, he just wasn’t saying anything.

“Morning,” Jamal hummed, still typing. “You were knocked out cold.”

Your voice cracked. “Y-Yeah. Must’ve been tired.”

“Tired, huh?”

Now Jamal did look at you, eyes flicking over your flushed face, the way you clutched the blanket too high, doing your best to hide your skin and the hard one you still have.

He didn’t call you out or tease you. But the smirk stayed.

You looked away fast, trying not to combust from embarrassment.

Jamal locked his phone and stretched, showing of his perfectly build body, muscles rolling under smooth dark skin. “Big day today,” he said with a grin. “Can't wait to see everyone at the party.”

You groaned into your palms. “I know. I’m… kind of freaking out.”

“About what?” Jamal asked, even though he very clearly knew.

“My… body,” you muttered. “The um… the swim gear.”

You didn’t dare mention the specific one, the thin, dangerously revealing one. The one Jamal wanted you to wear.

Jamal stood up from his bed, blanked bunched together on the mattress leaving him standing there just in his underware. Its almost as if the other man wants to show of how great he looks.

“Emile. Look at me.”

The black man commanded and you instantly did.

“I know that you will look sexy in it.”

You squeaked. Actually squeaked. “I, wh... NO. I don’t... I’m not...”

Jamal laughed, low and warm. “Relax. I’m not saying it like that.”

He was. He absolutely was.

“I’m serious,” Jamal said. “You keep acting like you’re some awkward stick of a boy. But you’ve got a good body. Stronger than you think. And obviously that ass?”

He whistled softly.

“I know that people would die for that.”

You turn red all the way to your ears. “I am NOT... I mean I’m not gay or whatever, so...”

“Sure,” Jamal said immediately, way too casually. “Totally believe you.”

“No you don’t!”

Jamal clicked his phone back on. “Mhm. Of course. Straight as a ruler.”

“That’s not...!” you covered your face again. “You’re impossible.”

Jamal only laughed harder.

After a moment, Emile peeked at him, by now Jamal went to the fridge and got some cereal and milk. Something tugged at him... curiosity he didn’t want to admit he had.

“Jamal… are you seeing anyone right now?”

Jamal’s eyebrows jumped up. “Oh? Why you asking?”

“I...I don’t know. Just… wondering.”

“Nah,” Jamal said, leaning back against his chair at the table. “Last boyfriend moved out of state. I was definitely not doing long distance, got my needs you know?” he said and gave a short pause, as if he wanted to give you a moment to process what he just said.

“But the dude still messages me sometimes.”

He adopted a playful, overly-dramatic voice:

“‘I miss you, Jamal. I miss you and your big, sexy dark chocolate.’”

Your face went scarlet.

Jamal barked out a laugh. “Look at you! You’re red as my phone case.”

“I’m NOT...! I just...! That’s...!”

“Relax,” Jamal chuckled. “It’s a compliment. And he wasn’t wrong.”

You didn’t know what to do with that thought, or the heat it sparked low in your stomach. You tried to think about literally anything else, breakfast, homework, escaping the dorm through the window, but you eyes kept flicking back to Jamal’s chest, his arms, the way his laughter curled around the room and sank into him.

“C’mon,” Jamal said eventually as he finished his cereal. “We still have a lot of time, but we at least should start to get ready for the day.”

You nodded, still flustered.

The two of you moved around the room, both half-awake and shirtless, brushing past each other in the small space. You pretended you didn’t catch Jamal staring in the mirror as he adjusted the prominent bulge in his shorts.

And Jamal pretended he didn’t notice how your eyes lingered way to long on that area.

“Pool party’s gonna be fun,” Jamal said as he grabbed his towel. “And you’re wearing the one I picked. No backing out.”

You groaned into your hands again. “I hate you.”

“No you don’t,” Jamal said with a grin. “You just don’t know it yet.”

You tripped over your own slippers.

Jamal laughed, warm, bright, and completely in control of the situation, as if he already knew exactly how the rest of the day would go.