Roommates With Benefits [BL]

Damien glanced over. ”You’re tense.”

”I’m fine.”

”You’re gripping my arm.”

”I like your arm.”

”You’re also standing on your toes.”

”The sand is uneven.”

He smiled. I still hated that smile. ”Oliver.”

”What?”

”Can you actually swim?”

”Yes.”

He looked at me for another second, clearly not convinced, then he took a step back.

I immediately grabbed his arm. ”Don’t you fucking dare!”

He laughed. ”You just said you could swim.”

”I can.”

”Then swim.”

”Damien.”

I glared at him, then, because my pride decided to sabotage me, I let go.

I lasted about two seconds, before my life flashed before my eyes.

The moment my feet left the sand, my body forgot every survival instinct it ever had, I splashed around. ”DAMIEN!”

He caught me almost instantly, arms wrapped around me in a way that made it look way too easy on his end.

I clung to him like a very ungraceful barnacle.

”You liar!”

”I told you I could swim!”

”You were drowning!”

”I was experimenting!”

”With drowning?”

”I was having a difficult moment!”

He pulled me closer, still laughing as I clung to him.

”You’re unbelievable.”

”You pushed me into the water!”

I glared at him, water dripping from my hair, trying my best to maintain some dignity while treading water against a guy who probably moonlighted as a swimmer.

”You’re an asshole.”

He smiled. ”And you’re terrible at swimming.”

”Fuck you!”

He leaned in closer, before I could come up with another insult, his lips found mine.

The kiss was warm and slow, the taste of saltwater lingering, the ocean rocking gently around us like it had decided to grant us a moment.

I forgot what I’d meant to say.

Probably for the best.

When we pulled apart, Damien rested his forehead against mine. ”You okay?”

”Yeah.”

”Still want to haunt me when you die?”

”Maybe later.”

He laughed softly. I smiled.

For a while, we just floated there in the water, surrounded by the ocean and the sound of our laughter.

Later that afternoon, after lunch, Damien insisted on showing me around the rest of the property. I was starting to think this island had more rooms than my whole university.

There was a garden, several smaller guest houses, a gym, a library, a pool overlooking the ocean, and a little path leading down to another stretch of beach, as if one beach just wasn’t enough for him.

Every few minutes, I found myself staring at something and asking, ”Why do you have this?”

Damien would shrug. ”Why not?”

”That’s the most irritating rich-person answer I’ve ever heard.”

He smiled. ”You’ll survive.”

”I survived college on a budget. I can handle anything.”

We finally stopped at the edge of the property overlooking the ocean, the afternoon sun softening, and the water deepening in color, settling into a peaceful blue.

I leaned against the railing. ”This place is beautiful.”

Damien stood next to me. ”You really like it?”

”Yeah.”

I smiled faintly, then my thoughts turned heavier. ”My dad would love it here.”

Damien’s expression softened. ”Frank? He would?”

I nodded. ”He’s always loved the ocean.”

I looked out at the horizon. ”When I was younger, he talked about studying marine biology. He loves reading about sea life and all that, he is such a nerd when it came to that topic. He probably would’ve done it if he’d had the chance.”

I smiled sadly. ”But then he had me young, and life happened. Bills, work, everything.”

My voice dropped. ”He spent his whole life trying to make sure I had what I needed.”

Damien didn’t interrupt. That’s one thing I appreciated about him, when I needed to talk, he didn’t rush to fill the silence. He let me finish my thoughts at my own pace.

I swallowed. ”I shouldn’t be here.”

He turned toward me. ”What?”

I looked down. ”I should probably be with him.”

”Oliver...”

”He’s in the hospital, and I’m halfway across the world.”

”He told you to rest and the doctors told you to let him rest too”

”I know.”

”You’re allowed to have a life, too.”

I didn’t reply, Damien took my hand, holding it lightly but giving me space to pull away if I wanted to. ”Frank wouldn’t want you feeling guilty, stuck in a hospital room while you’re on vacation.”

I sighed. ”I know.”

”When he gets better, he can come here.”

I looked up in surprise. ”What?”

Damien smiled. ”He’s invited.”

I stared at him. ”Really?”

”Of course.”

A smile slowly spread across my face. ”You’d let my dad come to your private island?”

”I’d let him stay as long as he wanted.”

I threw my arms around him before I realized what I was doing. ‎The smile that broke on my face felt almost too big to contain. I leaned in and kissed him, soft and thankful, and when I pulled away, I kept my forehead pressed against his longer than necessary. ”Thank you. For all of this. For... everything.”

He hugged me tightly. ”You don’t have to thank me.”

”I really do.”

”You really don’t.”

”I do.”

He kissed the side of my head. ”Then you’re welcome.”

For a moment, I just held him. The guilt hadn’t completely vanished, but it had lightened up, maybe because Damien understood without making me feel weak for feeling it.

Maybe for once, someone looked at the complicated mess of my life and thought,

Meh, we’ll make room for it.

Eventually, we headed back to the villa.

By sunset, the staff had left for the evening, leaving us alone. The sky shifted to soft shades of pink and orange, the last light reflecting off the infinity pool, and everything quieted except for the distant sound of waves.

I was rinsing the salt from my hair under the outdoor shower when Damien joined me.

”You’re staring.”

He smiled. ”Am I?”

”Yes.”

”Maybe I like what I see.”

I rolled my eyes. ”You’ve seen me all day.”

”And?”

”And you’re still not tired of it?”

”Not at all.”

He stepped closer, water streaming over his shoulders, catching the fading light of sunset, and for a moment, I forgot every witty retort I’d planned.

I looked away. ”You’re annoying.”

”You keep saying that.”

”Because it’s true.”

His hand rested gently on my waist, and when I looked back at him, the teasing expression had faded, replaced by something warmer in his eyes that made my heart race.

”Oliver.”

”Hmm?”

He leaned closer. I didn’t pull away.

His lips met mine.

The kiss started softly, lazily, but there was something beneath it that sent a pleasant twist through my stomach. His hand slid along my waist as my fingers tangled in his damp shirt, pulling him closer.

Warm water poured around us while the ocean stretched behind him under the fading light, I smiled against his mouth. ”What?”

”You’re smiling.”

”So are you.”

”I have a good reason.”

”Oh?”

”You.”

I groaned. ”That was disgustingly romantic.”

”You liked it.”

”Maybe.”

Damien’s hands began innocently enough, washing the salt from my shoulders and neck, but they lingered longer with each stroke.

By the time we moved to the infinity pool, the sky had begun to turn a soft pink, and the water was the perfect temperature, making clothes feel like an unnecessary formality.

‎

‎I was already soaked, shorts clinging to my thighs, when Damien backed me against the edge of the pool, his focus making my heart race.

The kiss started slow but deepened almost instantly, our mouths blending together with the heat of people who had been building up to this moment all day.

His hands slid down my sides, thumbs brushing against the waistband of my shorts, then pushed under the wet fabric without any rush...just the steady, claim of someone who knew exactly where this was going.

He kissed me again. This time, I didn’t bother pretending I wasn’t enjoying it. His arms tightened around me as I hugged him close, the sky darkening above us.

The ocean was right there, the sunset fading into twilight, and for once, I didn’t think about tomorrow at all.

All there was was Damien, the warmth of his body against mine, and the comforting thought that whatever came next, I wanted to stay right there.

I wasn’t afraid of what tomorrow might bring.

I was too busy kissing him to care.