Day 0. 

Shared room. 

The room was quiet. 

Which was suspicious, considering Nalan and Aari was still inside it.

He got back after a fresh shower, wearing just sweatpants, hair still damp. The room was covered with Aari’s pheromones, woody, intense. But Aari wasn’t the type who would release pheromones unnecessarily, he knows he is not like him. 

Nalan took a step and narrowed his eyes-

The duct tape line? 

Gone. 

“Did you eat the fuckin tape?” Nalan snapped. “You’re on my side”

Aari yawned, clearly faking it. “Well... There are no sides anymore” 

Nalan sighed and tossed his towel onto the chair and walked over to the bed slowly. The smell grew too strong, almost suffocating.

He walked over and threw open the window.

“It’s already cold in here, asshole.” Aari muttered. 

Nalan ignored  him “Are you in rut?” 

Aari blinked, confused. “Huh?”

“You are leaking” he said, frowning.

“I’m what?!” Aari almost yelled. 

“Pheromones. You smell like a burnt wood” 

“What— Are you seriously sniffing me right now?” Aari, sat up instantly, positioning himself to throw a punch. “Ewww, gross”

Nalan raised an eyebrow.  “The room is covered in your smell. I don’t need to sniff, genius” 

Aari sniffed himself and immediately groaned. “Shit…You have suppressants?” He asked, knowing he didn’t bring his thinking his rut would come at the end of this month. 

“Here..” Nalan threw the bottle of rut suppressants towards aari. “You are welcome, pheromone diffuser” 

**************

They both lay in the bed. 

Nalan stayed in his corner, back to Aari, not crossing the now invisible line.

Aari lay on his back, blanket halfway over him, eyes shut.

10 minutes passed. 

Then–

A knee touched Nalan’s leg. 

“This bitch-” Nalan woke instantly, grabbing aari’s t-shirt. “I told you not to cross the line” 

“Where is the line?” Aari said flat. 

“It is an unspoken agreement to stay in your goddamn zone”

“The bed is small” Nalan muttered. “Things happen”

“Your leg didn’t just accidentally cross the neutral zone”

Nalan let go of his t-shirt and kicked him lightly, trying to push him back to his side.

Aari didn’t react, he just dragged the blanket all the way to his side.

“You’re stealing the covers now?!” Nalan yelled. 

“You started it.” 

“Idiot–”

“Asshole–”

5 minutes later. 

Nalan groaned. “Ugh. Your stupid candle is still lit. It’s messing with my nose.”

“It helps with rage” Aari said calmly, not moving.

“Well, your candle sucks. I’m still full of rage” 

“That sounds like a you problem.” 

**********

All the snipping, made them too tired, the two finally slept. 

Then—suddenly—

Nalan rolled over in his sleep and latched onto aari. 

One arm draped across his chest. One leg over his waist. Face pressed near his neck.

Aari’s eyes snapped open.

“…You have got to be kidding me” Aari stared at his face, a guy threw a tantrum for touching his leg was now cuddling him. 

He reached for Nalan’s arm.

Paused. 

"Is this how I die? Suffocated by an idiotic alpha?"

Nalan mumbled something in his sleep. 

Aari sighed as he moved just enough to blow out the scented candle on the table beside him.

**************

Zian's logbook entry: First night. No bloodshed yet. Impressive.