♫ : snowy night - billlie

The clock on your phone read 1:17 AM when you came fresh out of the shower, wrapped in a set of cozy pajamas. You scrolled through your social media feed, tapping through Instagram stories, double-tapping posts here and there.

Now, officially January 1st, it was the first actual day of your relationship with Jake. Your thumb paused mid-scroll as your phone buzzed, the screen lighting up with a notification.

Jake Sim: [i'm lonely 🥺]

A laugh escaped your lips. You quickly clicked on the message, fingers tapping on the keyboard.

[you've been living in your own apartment]
[all these weeks]
[and you're telling me you're lonely??]

Jake Sim: [it's torturous how you're in the room right beside mine]

Jake Sim: [but i can't sleep with you]

[it's the first day of our official relationship]
[boundaries, mister]

Jake Sim: [it's not like we haven't slept together before 🤨]

You froze, blinking at the words. Instantly, your mind flashed back to Christmas Eve night, when you fell asleep on his chest. Heat crawled up your neck and your mind searched for a comeback. But before you could type anything, you hesitated.

The green "active now" dot beside your name gave you away, and Jake clearly noticed.

Jake Sim: [...can i come over?]

[no.]

You hit send and immediately locked your phone, burying your face into the pillow. It wasn't that you didn't want him here. You did. But your brain hadn't quite caught up with the reality of your new relationship yet.

The thought of him being so close, so Jake, was enough to leave you flustered.

Minutes passed in silence. You tried to focus on your phone again, to focus on your Instagram reels, but it was no use.

The thought of him being alone just a door away circled in your mind. Maybe you should've said yes. Maybe he really was lonely.

And then came the small, almost inaudible knock.

You groaned into your pillow before dragging yourself out of bed. Walking across the room, you opened the door, revealing Jake standing there with his phone in hand.

His hair was damp from his shower, strands falling messily over his forehead, and he smelled faintly of whatever shampoo he used, something warm and sweet. He was dressed in his own pajamas, looking both annoyingly handsome and pitiful at the same time.

"Hi," he said, an exaggerated pout on his lips.

"Jake," you started, already sighing. "You're supposed to be sleeping."

"I can't sleep," he replied, stepping just a little closer. "I'll behave. I promise."

His smile widened immediately when you stepped aside, letting him squeeze past you into the room. You rolled your eyes as he plopped himself down on the edge of your bed.

"I just didn't want to spend the first night of the new year alone," he said, looking up at you with a grin that was almost too charming to resist.

"Fine," you gave up, sitting down beside him. "But no funny business."

"Define funny business," Jake teased.

"Jake."

"Okay, okay!" he said, raising his hands in surrender. "No funny business. Promise."

You shook your head, pulling the comforter back as Jake slid in beside you. He immediately made himself comfortable, lying on his side to face you while you adjusted the pillows.

The proximity was definitely not unfamiliar, but the knowledge that the two of you were no longer just friends made it feel way more intimate.

Jake tugged the comforter up to cover the both of you. "So, what are we doing?"

You raised your phone. "TikTok."

"Romantic," Jake said with a laugh, but he didn't argue. Instead, he scooted closer, resting his chin lightly on your shoulder to watch the screen.

As the two of you scrolled through random videos, you couldn't help but laugh at the ridiculous ones. Jake's comments only made them funnier.

"This is what first-day couples do, right?" you joked, leaning back slightly to glance at him. "Lie in bed and scroll through TikTok?"

Jake smirked, his eyes meeting yours. "We've been acting like a couple way before we actually became one."

You froze for a moment - he wasn't wrong. From the way he always teased you to the way you cheered each other up without fail, Jake had always been there, acting like a... a boyfriend.

"Don't say stuff like that," you mumbled, turning your attention back to your phone.

"Why not?" Jake asked. "It's true."

You didn't respond, instead focusing on the video playing on your screen. But Jake wasn't done. He shifted closer, his hand brushing against yours under the comforter.

"Hey," he said, his voice barely above a whisper.

You turned to look at him, and before you could say anything, he leaned in, pressing a soft kiss to your cheek. It was quick, barely there.

"Jake," you said, your voice a mix of exasperation and amusement.

"What?" he said innocently. "I said no funny business. That wasn't funny. That was cute."

By the time sleep finally began to creep in, you realized that this was exactly how you wanted to start the new year. Lying in bed, in his arms, sharing the same warmth.