The Canadian felt as though he were living a dream; he felt as if he were floating now that that delicate hand was holding his. His eyes shone as if a great longing had become reality, and it was then that he finally stayed in bed beside him.
"You should change your clothes..." Bek remarked with a sweet smile upon seeing the older youth still in his sportswear. He left him free to go change, not without first noticing the photograph of his pet, Mr. Bear, his great companion. Bek could not help but laugh tenderly while holding the photo in his hands.
"Well, I'll wait here for him to return, but Bek is still half-asleep..." said Taishi, who watched calmly as the Canadian retreated hurriedly; he knew Jake wouldn't take long, as he wouldn't want to make his beloved Kazakh wait even one second longer.
"It's very strange..." Bek told himself, letting out a small laugh. He liked the Canadian's actions; they seemed supremely tender to him, although that thought made him blush completely.
Knowing that he found those actions truly adorable made him deny it subtly; he knew his reasoning was not at its best, much less now that he was about to fall asleep and had his little "Mr. Bear" on his mind. Taishi remained attentive to his pupil; the boy looked truly tender now that he was with the Canadian. At that moment, he only smiled without overthinking the matter, as he did not want anything bad to interfere between the two of them.
"Well... I'll let you rest, but remember that tomorrow you have to practice your short program, understood?" With that, he withdrew, leaving them alone. At the entrance, Jake crossed paths with the coach; both exchanged a soft smile and a few brief words before the adult withdrew, letting the boys pass the night together as if it were a sleepover.
For a moment, Bek didn't know what to say or what to do; he was somewhat lost and only felt embarrassed to be alone with the man who had kissed him twice that day.
"Bek... do you want something cold or hot to drink? Well... before sleeping... Of course, if you want." Jake became nervous; he didn't know what would happen between them that night, although in their childhood they practically lived together all the time thanks to the close friendship of their parents.
"A chocolate would be fine..." the younger youth accepted while observing his opponent calmly. Being alone and in Jake's presence gave him a strange peace; he felt that no one else could bother them.
"A chocolate! Yes! On its way." The Canadian ran to the small kitchen, took a can of cold chocolate from the refrigerator, and began to shake it to mix the drink well before approaching the bed again. "Here it is! Take it..." He handed it to him, but his hand remained holding the bottom of the can; he had become paralyzed seeing those beautiful eyes.
"Umm... could you let go... please?" Bek asked shyly, since Jake wouldn't stop holding the container, and he began to think that perhaps he himself was being useless.
There was no response from the Canadian, nor any further action from the Kazakh; on the contrary, only their gazes remained connected. It was like winter and autumn staring fixedly at each other, without saying a word, but transmitting more than a thousand feelings through their eyes—those windows to the soul that, at that instant, were overflowing with everything they were holding back.
Slowly, the purple-eyed boy approached the onyx-eyed one, who remained sitting on the edge of the bed. The distance shortened until the can of chocolate was forgotten in the background; the protagonists now were their lips, which melted into a soft, sweet, and warm kiss. It was such a calm and lasting contact that there was no rush; they didn't have to hide or prove anything to anyone. It was just a kiss that melted their hearts.
"Jake..." the younger youth whispered as they separated, looking very shy, although the distance between them remained minimal.
"Forgive me, Bek... I like you... truly..." the Canadian confessed, now that he had all the attention of his beloved Kazakh.
"Jake!" he nearly died from the surprise, but his cheekbones ignited in an intense red, and that cinnamon skin was stained with a noticeable blush; he looked truly adorable.
"Sorry... I know it's not... you know... the right moment and..." He stopped abruptly, for the Kazakh had kissed him at that instant, forcing him to continue in a soft and calm manner. Jake was more than surprised, but he would never reject a kiss from his dear Bek.
The kiss continued with a soft rhythm that began to turn more passionate, feeling how the heat of their bodies increased in a charming way. However, they had to stop; it was not the time nor the place to go any further.
"Jake... not yet," Bek requested while stroking the older youth's chest with one hand. Yes, they had to put a stop to it; it was not yet the moment for anything more. He settled into bed while the Canadian hugged him, hiding him almost completely against his chest.
"I'm sorry... I won't do anything you don't want... Even so... I desire you... I love you... I love you so much," Jake managed to confess, fearing that by saying something like that, his beloved might decide to walk away. He knew he wouldn't be able to bear losing him.
"I like you too... truly, I do... I like you..." the Kazakh whispered, who remained hidden, clinging to the older youth's clothes as best he could. He was trying to avoid letting his tears of joy fall; he would feel pathetic for crying, but he couldn't help but rub his face against that chest that provided him with such security.
"We will be together... I promise you, Aibek... we will always be together... there will never be any doubt about that," Jake promised, leaving a sweet kiss on the younger youth's forehead. Bek finally let out some warm tears that reflected his fear of losing him.
"Jake... I don't want to lose you... I don't want to... I'm sorry... but... I don't want to be hurt again... I love you... I love you and I don't want to lose you..." he repeated incessantly. Jake understood; he knew how cruel it was to let go of someone you love, but he would never do that to his Bek. He was a being too sweet and kind to be the victim of such cruelty.
"You aren't going to lose me... I promise to be here with you, always... if you fall, I fall... if you get up, I will do it with you... I will always be by your side." He hugged him tighter, covering them both with the blanket to avoid losing heat on that frigid night.
Bek's crying became uncontrollable; the tears were falling, not only out of fear or panic of being abandoned, but out of beautiful relief knowing that the being in front of him would never leave him. It was such a great consolation that he was able to cry until he fell fast asleep.
"Rest, my sweet little bear..." Jake left a soft kiss on his lips, another on his nose, one more on his forehead, and ended on the crown of his head while tucking him in carefully so as not to wake him. That boy was his everything; he could never let him go.
That was how, one night in Germany, inside a hotel room, two beings loved each other with pure sincerity, overcoming the fear that it might not be real. There they were, embraced, sharing a beautiful evening despite the winter chill that lashed outside.