Graduation day was nearing and as part of the committee, Nikita was busy organizing the graduation celebration for the students. It was a long tiring day and he was looking forward to a nice shower and some blanking out time on the balcony, but the villa had turned into a gloom fortress by the time he was back.

Zakhar had shut himself in the room to come up with the plan while Aleksei was sitting in the living room watching tv shows without a hint of a good mood on his face. It was depressing just breathing the same air as him now that he was having Tai withdrawal symptoms.

"There's nothing we can do here." Lev beckoned Nikita to come closer. "Let's talk upstairs." He glanced at Aleksei. "He's not in the right mind space."

Nikita walked with Lev to his room.

"I feel sorry for Tai and Aleksei. They're doing this for me and the guilt is there too." Nikita sighed and sat on the bed.

"At this point is personal to all of us so don't feel guilty. Zakhar is doing everything he can to resolve this. He even told Arya he won't see her for a few days." Lev closed the door behind them.

Nikita raised a brow. "Arya just complies with Zakhar's demands?"

Lev smiled. "You'd be surprised. True they might not seem like the typical couple on the outside, but just as Zakhar does everything to make her happy, Arya goes out of her way to make Zakhar happy. I'd rather not go into details." Lev sighed thinking about unnecessary details. "But, their relationship is strong."

Nikita nodded. Guess he won't worry for now. The silence in the room became apparent. Nikita heard his own breathing and the tension in the room grew. The last time he was alone with Lev a lot of things had happened.

Lev was suddenly staring at Nikita, his eyes focused on his face.

Nikita began feeling anxious. They kissed once but that didn't mean anything. They were just fooling around. His last fling burned him badly enough to remember to be careful next time.

Lev's hand was suddenly on his thigh "Why do you keep looking away?"

Nikita locked eyes with him, surprised by the touch. There was a hint of worry in Lev's eyes. He was always facing him, always being honest and straightforward. Very different from his last lover.

His ex was always tense, always absentminded and had always asked Nikita to look away as if what they were doing was wrong. Please turn away, he'd always tell him. He couldn't face him properly and always hid any emotions that would show up between them.

Before he got hurt any more by the detached relationship he was in, Nikita had left. But the slight trauma still seemed to linger. He didn't know how much he could trust Lev.

"Are you regretting what happened?" Lev asked.

"No. No." Nikita dropped down on the bed with a dramatic sigh. "I just got some issues in trusting people. I'm all confident until I like someone. Then all of it flies out the window and I wonder if I'm even wanted."

Lev pressed his weight on top of him and kissed him..Nikita went from distracted, worried and stiff to the silent space in his head that only happened when Lev had pinned him and kissed him senselessly last time.

The kiss became urgent, hard and hasty. Nikita could feel he was no longer in control. Lev was. His hands were under Nikita's shirt and then tossed it over his head. Unapologetically Lev reached for Nikita's jeans and unbuttoned them, pulling them down together with his boxers. Reaching down to stop him was futile as he was struggling for air into the hard overpowering kiss.

Lev finally broke the kiss and stared at Nikita's body.

Under his gaze, Nikita felt the embarrassment rise to his face. He was naked, hard and exposed within seconds and everything was so rushed he had no time to process what was happening until it was done. He turned his head away and suddenly Lev grabbed his chin turning his head back again.

"I don't want you to look away. Keep your eyes on me."

Lev wrapped his hand around Nikita's erection. "I want to see your reactions. I want to know what feels good and what doesn't. I don't know how you've done things so far, but if it doesn't feel good what's the point of doing it."

Nikita bit the inside of his cheek unsure what to reply to that. He knew that, he damn right knew that, but he just didn't know how to face him.

Lev kissed him again, this time slow, full and warmblooded. He gently nudged Nikita back onto the pillow and started stroking him.

Nikita broke the kiss a slight smile curing on his lips He wrapped his hand around Lev. "Like this." He guided him.

With every hand thrust, Nikita forgot how nervous he felt. When Lev leaned forward kissing his neck, his erection pressed against his thigh.

Nikita broke the kiss staring into Lev's eyes. The hesitation was gone, there was only fierce determination now. If he was going to be his first guy lover, he had to deliver.

"Your turn. Lay down." Nikita grabbed Lev's neck, pressing a hungry kiss over his lips and then pushed him on the bed pulling down his pants and boxers halfway and raising Lev's shirt just a bit over his abdomen. Lev withdrew a breath, his abs tightening.

He twitched as he felt Nikita's breath over his skin. In seconds his warm mouth was over him, sucking him and stroking him, getting a satisfying low groan out of him. "Fuck, you're so good at this."

It was a pleasurable hell on Lev's side. He wanted him to keep going but at the same time, he wanted to be in him and wouldn't last long if he kept this up.

"Enough." Lev sat up and pushed him to the other side of the bed, gripping his neck and kissing him. "Turn around."

The words sent a jolt all over Nikita's body as he lied down on his stomach.

Lev was already ripping off the condom bag and putting it on.

Lev climbed on top of Nikita kissing his neck. The warm breath over his skin was arousing, feverish and playful. He traced his tongue down Nikita's spine leaving kisses here and there. Nikita shivered under his touch, gripping on the sheets.

Lev smirked to himself enjoying the reactions he was getting out of Nikita. When it came to pleasure, he was confident in body language.

"Do you want me? Do you want this?" Lev whispered in his ear.

Nikita reached back running his fingers through Lev's hair. "Yes. I want you."

"Do you have any.."

"First drawer."

Lev reached in a hurry taking the lube out of the drawer. Then pressed his tip in slowly and then slipped his whole length in. Nikita winced and gripped the edge of the bed.

"Did that hurt?"Lev whispered in his ear and placed a kiss on his shoulder.

"It's fine. I can take it."

Chuckling Lev pulled out and then shoved it back in the same rough way drawing out another moan from Nikita.

"You're squeezing me so good." Lev groaned next to Nikita's ear and then placed his hands over Nikita's, intertwining their fingers. He pressed his body closer and moved again.

"You're making me feel good too." Nikita moaned and squeezed the pillow.

Lev couldn't explain to himself why he was so intrigued by him, but the interest was always there. He had the urge to hold him, touch him and protect him. He couldn't resist the pull, he didn't want to either. He sat in the yearning, the desire wondering when would be the right moment to touch him, taste his taste, feel his parted lips on his.

Nikita was always standing one step closer to him than the rest of the guys. He always stole glances, answered his demands to keep him company, and smiled warmly at him more than he did to others. It was like a special treatment that neither Nikita understood he did.

Lev wanted to trust that special treatment more than anything. When he heard Nikita liked him back it was like all the restraints were suddenly unlocked. And now he was thrusting inside him, eliciting moans of pleasure, hearing him beg and responding to him.

He gently wrapped his hand around Nikita's throat, tilting his head back with his thumb and kissed him.

They switched positions and Nikita turned around wrapping his arms around Lev's neck and released the hair from the bun making his hair fall. He sunk his fingers in it and parted his lips as he let Lev's tongue to drive him to insanity.

The pace continued until they were both quivering and shaking in pleasure.

Lev pulled the covers over them and they continued laying in bed. Their eyes locked upon each other and Lev traced his finger over Nikita's lips lazily. Nikita in response ran his fingers up and down Lev's arm length.

The warm response made Lev smile.

"What?" Nikita asked.

"I'm just thinking how good this feels."

"Is it always like this for you?" Nikita asked realizing Lev was the first lover who stayed calm after and wanted to hold him.

Like he knew where Nikita's thought pattern was going Lev sighed. "It is. But not because I've liked them the same way I like you. It's because I treat my partners with respect. Yes, I've had a lot of lovers, some didn't mean anything at all, but that doesn't mean I should just get up and leave. It's normal."

"That makes you a standard. You should see what normal looks like."

"Ahhh guess I have to change what you see as normal." Lev squeezed him in a tight hug.

Nikita smiled. "That sounds like this is going to happen very often."

Lev rested his head over his hand. "I told you I liked you didn't I?"

"But that doesn't mean that.."

Lev cut him off by squeezing his face and pressing a kiss over his lips. "I didn't want to pressure you by saying you're mine but you better not go and do this with other people."

Nikita smiled. "What about you?"

"I have no desire to be with anyone else but you. I don't think I would have done this unless I really liked you. And I do."

"Why do you like me then?" Nikita laid on his back, placed a pillow under his head and stared at the ceiling.

"Do I need a reason?" Lev kept staring at him.

"I like you too." Nikita said. "I don't have a specific reason either. I wonder why."

Lev observed Nikita a little longer and then sighed. "I don't like the face you're making. Was this not good? Did I screw something up?"

"No...no.." Nikita turned toward him with a heartbroken smile. "It's just that I'm going back home after graduation and this is over before it starts."

"Then just stay here." Lev interrupted him. "Spend the summer with me."

"What?" Nikita raised a brow.

"Yes. After graduation stay here with me." Lev got up and reached for his jeans. He looked for a pack of cigarettes and then climbed back into bed once he had it.

" I don't live with my parents. I live alone in an apartment in a city nearby. We can stay there for a while, see if it works and then travel somewhere. Is that impossible to ask?"

Nikita rose on his elbows. "Not impossible, it just caught me by surprise. I've never done something that impulsive."

Lev lit up a cigarette and placed a hand under Nikita's neck. "Until now nothing fulfilled me. Having been friends with Zakhar and Aleksei is a terrific distraction from the rest of my life that I will have to go back to after we graduate." He took a long hit and then exhaled the smoke in the air.

"I have nothing to look forward to but...If you stay with me.. I think something might change. I want to try it. Spending this summer with you, whether we never get tired of each other or we crash and burn, I'm sure it would be a summer worth remembering."

Nikita blinked twice confused. "Until a few minutes ago I didn't think you'd take this seriously."

Lev smiled. "So what does that mean?"

"I'm still hiding you know. I can't hold hands in school or kiss in public. But if you're fine with being lowkey with me until the end of this school year even if it means hiding from people close to us until I'm ready, then I want to give this a shot. As for living with you this summer, let me think about it."

Lev placed the cigarette in his mouth and undid his messy bun with his free hand. He then glanced at Nikita with a wide grin. " Okay. But tonight you sleep in my room."

Nikita couldn't suppress, the curving of his lips upwards. "I guess that can be arranged. "

"Oh, there's also one more thing you might want to know." Lev licked his lips amused. "My real name is Léon."

"Huh?" Nikita looked at him in shock. "It's not Lev?"

"Aleksei and Zakhar came up with the nickname Lev, when we started hanging out."

"And why did you decide to just spring it on me now?"

Lev shrugged. "You know..Just in case you want to yell my real name during sex."

Nikita laughed. "I'll have it into consideration."

***

A few days later, the school had begun its preparations for the graduating students. The seniors had gathered in the welcoming hall where the teachers gave them brief explanations of the steps and the process they needed to go through. Meanwhile, at the corner of her eye, Tai was glancing back and forward to the fourth row, where Nikita, Aleksei, Lev and Zakhar were standing.

It was the first time in a few days that she had seen Aleksei and she couldn't help but feel excited and nervous. She was shifting her weight from one leg to the other, hoping he'd turn around and lock eyes with her. At the same time, she was being careful of anyone noticing.

Per Zakhar's instructions, they neither talked, greeted each other nor exchanged text messages. It was a complete silence the last few days and she hated letting herself for a moment feel that she missed him. Because admitting it to herself how much she had gotten used to him being around, was only going to hurt more. And now looking at his back, he felt so far away.

Once the lecture was over, the teachers instructed the students to come forward and pick up the printed sheets they needed to take for their paperwork. The crowd of students gathered around the teachers and impatiently waited to get their papers and go back to their villas.

Tai pushed through the crowd but everyone was in a hurry to get this over with, that she eventually gave up and decided to just wait out her turn. Diana, Hada and Mei had gotten lost somewhere behind with the crowd and she was now in line with the few remaining students from her class.

The crowd didn't have a specific line to stand so every student pushed from each side. Suddenly her hand was taken in someone's warm firm grip.

She instinctively turned her head and saw a glimpse of Aleksei. He stared straight ahead. "Don't. Focus on the teachers." He said.

Tai turned her head forward, flustered by how happy she was. He held her hand firmly and rubbed circles gently over the top of her hand with his thumb. It was comforting and warm and the room suddenly felt brighter. The mood was uplifting. She squeezed his hand in response and withheld a long shaky breath. Despite the risks, he was here doing whatever he could to make the best of the situation and use this small window of opportunity.

The crowd slowly moved forward and step by step they were getting closer to the teachers.

Aleksei didn't know how overwhelming it was going to be when he reached for her hand. He did it because he could get away with it and he wanted to hold her in any way after not seeing her for so many days. But when her face brightened and she responded with such warmth, his heart squeezed in anguish. She wasn't indifferent to him. She must have been lonely and missed him too.

The warm feeling was turning into a desperate need to keep holding on.

Tears gathered at the corners of Tai's eyes and she blinked them away hoping no one had seen them. A few more steps and they were going to reach their turn. Aleksei wondered if he was going to be able to let go of her hand once they reached the end of the line.

Taking one decisive breath, both of them put their bravest faces on and then their grip loosened. Their hands slowly began pulling apart and their fingers lingered away from each other until the last touch was lost.

Tai and Aleksei took the papers from the teachers and then each headed in a different direction.

Aleksei made his way back to Zakhar who was waiting by the exit. Aleksei's patience was running thin.

"You better come up with something fast." He said.

"That's all I've been doing these days. My plan has way too many holes for me to spring it to action though. I need more time." Zakhar replied.

"I don't have more time. In a few days, there is the graduation, then the farewell party and then she's gone. "Aleksei squeezed his fists, trying to contain the anger that was simmering in his chest.

Zakhar couldn't reply to that. He knew asking this of Aleksei was cruel, but it was the best they could do in such a short time.

So on my instagram I had a little vote on whether or not to remove a scene from this story. Everyone voted to leave it in. For those curious, this separation between Aleksei and Tai was what I was hesitant on doing.

But it turned into a nice pining moment between the both of them.

As for Lev and Nikita..they are just so good together ahh 🙊😌❤