Chapter Text
Chapter 24 — Room 214
(Wemmbu’s POV)
Flame.
Flame.
FlameFrags.
Wemmbu reread the notification for what had to be the tenth time.
“…You’ve got to be kidding me.”
He glanced sideways.
Squiddo had just looked at her own phone.
“Oh!”
She laughed.
“I got Ash!”
“…Convenient.”
“It really is!”
Wemmbu raised an eyebrow.
“…Random?”
“…Supposedly.”
She emphasized the last word.
“…You don’t believe it either?”
Squiddo only shrugged.
“I’ve stopped questioning Branzy’s existence.”
“…Fair.”
⸻
His phone buzzed again.
Blade Team
Jaden
Yungy
Wemmbu: Guess who my roommate is.
Jaden: …Who?
Wemmbu: Flame.
The chat went quiet.
Then…
Yungy: Seriously?
Jaden: Be careful.
Wemmbu smiled.
He’s just another guy.
Wemmbu: What’s he gonna do? Challenge me to a push-up contest?
Yungy: You joke now.
Jaden: Just… don’t underestimate him.
Wemmbu locked his phone.
“…I’ll survive.”
Yungy: Sucks to be you, we got each other.
Jaden: Yeah, but good luck though
⸻
A minute later, he texted Egg.
Wemmbu: Who’d you get?
Egg: Pangi.
Wemmbu: Ouch.
Egg: Exactly.
Egg: He’s ranked above me.
Egg: And he hangs around Zam.
Wemmbu frowned.
He still wasn’t entirely sure what Zam had done to fall so far.
Rumors.
Whispers.
Nothing concrete.
Whatever.
Not his problem.
Egg: Cod got paired with some random Ghost.
Wemmbu: Could be worse.
Egg: Could’ve been Flame.
Wemmbu stared at the message.
“…Don’t remind me.”
⸻
Half an hour later…
The buses rolled to a stop.
Students poured outside, stretching after the long ride.
The arena complex was enormous.
Stone buildings surrounded a massive central field.
Training halls.
Observation towers.
Dormitories.
It looked more like a university than a competition venue.
Wemmbu deliberately got off the bus before Flame.
He wasn’t avoiding him.
Absolutely not.
…Okay.
Maybe a little.
⸻
Egg was already waiting beside Codmaster.
“There you are!”
“You look stressed,” Egg observed.
“I’m not.”
“Liar.”
“…A little.”
⸻
After dropping their suitcases at the assigned dormitory building, the staff collected everyone’s luggage.
“Thank god,” Wemmbu muttered.
“I was not carrying that upstairs.”
Egg laughed.
“You complain a lot.”
“I complain professionally.”
⸻
Dinner passed surprisingly peacefully.
The cafeteria buzzed with excited conversations about tomorrow’s opening ceremony.
Everyone seemed eager.
Everyone except Wemmbu.
Because once dinner ended…
There was only one place left to go.
Room 214.
“…Wish me luck.”
Egg saluted dramatically.
“I’ll attend your funeral.”
⸻
The hallway was quiet. To which his headphones greatly contributed.
Room 214.
Wemmbu unlocked the door.
“…Hello?”
Nothing.
Silence.
He stepped inside.
His suitcase had already been delivered.
Flame’s belongings…
Were already unpacked.
“…He’s been here.”
Then Wemmbu looked around.
His eyes stopped.
“…”
“…No.”
“…No no no.”
One bed.
One.
Single.
Bed.
“…You’re joking.”
He checked the room again.
Maybe there was another one folded away.
There wasn’t.
“…I’m actually going to lose my mind.”
⸻
After several minutes of silently questioning every life decision that had led him here…
He grabbed his toiletries.
“…At least I’ll unpack.”
He walked toward the bathroom.
Turned the handle.
Opened the door.
“…”
Flame looked up.
Fresh out of the shower, towel over his waist, drying his hair.
Both of them froze.
Neither spoke.
For exactly two seconds.
Wemmbu’s brain completely stopped working.
…Oh.
He’s…
Very…
…fit.
“…”
Without a single word…
Wemmbu shut the bathroom door.
Very gently.
Turned around.
Walked across the room.
Sat on the bed.
Stared at the wall.
“…I saw nothing.”
He slowly reached up and took off his purple headphones.
Only then did he realize why he hadn’t heard the shower running.
“…I’m an idiot.”
⸻
A few minutes later…
The bathroom door opened again.
Flame stepped out.
Thankfully…
Fully dressed.
Unfortunately…
Smirking.
“…You done panicking?”
“I was not panicking.”
“You slammed the door.”
“I closed it with enthusiasm.”
Flame laughed.
“…Sure.”
“It was an accident.”
“Mhm.”
“I didn’t know you were in there.”
“Mhm.”
“I wasn’t staring.”
“Mhm.”
“…Stop saying ‘mhm.’”
Flame folded his arms.
“…You looked.”
“I glanced.”
“You stared.”
“I absolutely did not.”
“…You looked impressed.”
Wemmbu pointed at him.
“…Don’t flatter yourself.”
“Oh?”
Flame stepped a little closer.
“So you weren’t checking me out?”
“…No.”
“Not even a little?”
“…No.”
“Huh.”
Flame grinned.
“…Could’ve fooled me.”
Wemmbu rolled his eyes so hard it almost hurt.
“…You’re insufferable.”
“And yet…”
Flame tilted his head.
“…You still kissed me first at the party.”
“…That was the alcohol talking.”
“So?”
“…It had excellent taste.”
Wemmbu blinked.
“…Did you seriously just flirt with me?”
“Maybe.”
“…You’re unbelievable.”
Flame chuckled.
“So I’ve been told.”
For a brief moment, neither of them spoke.
The teasing gave way to a quieter silence.
Without really thinking, Wemmbu stepped closer.
Wemmbu stopped listening.
His gaze locked on Flame’s mouth, then the line of his jaw, the slight smirk still lingering there.
Something inside him snapped.
His body moved before his brain could catch up.
He reached up, fingers curling into Flame’s dreads, and yanked him down.
Their mouths met hard—Wemmbu’s lips parting instantly under the force of it.
Flame made a low sound of surprise that melted into a groan as Wemmbu pressed in, tongue sliding against his with desperate hunger.
The kiss was messy from the start, all teeth and wet heat, Wemmbu tilting his head to get deeper, sucking on Flame’s lower lip before licking back into his mouth.
Flame’s hands found Wemmbu’s waist, gripping tight as he kissed back just as fiercely.
Their tongues slid together in slow, filthy strokes, spit slicking their chins.
Wemmbu’s fingers tightened in Flame’s hair, pulling him closer until their chests pressed together.
Flame answered by biting gently at Wemmbu’s lip, then sucking it into his mouth with a wet sound that made Wemmbu’s knees weaken.
They broke apart only for a second, breathing hard.
Flame’s voice came out rough and amused.
“Didn’t expect you to shut me up like that.”
Wemmbu didn’t answer with words.
He surged forward again, claiming Flame’s mouth in another deep kiss, tongue pushing past his lips to taste him fully.
Flame met him with equal intensity,
one hand sliding up Wemmbu’s back while the other cupped his jaw,
thumb stroking over his cheek as they devoured each other.
The kisses stretched on—long, heated, relentless.
Wemmbu licked into Flame’s mouth again and again, sucking on his tongue, nipping at his lips until they were both swollen and glistening.
Flame groaned into the kiss, grinding forward just enough for their bodies to brush, the friction sending sparks through Wemmbu’s spine.
Wemmbu responded by pulling Flame’s head down harder, deepening the angle until the kiss turned even filthier, wet sounds filling the quiet room.
They finally pulled back, chests heaving. Wemmbu’s lips tingled, his breath ragged. Flame’s smirk had returned, softer now, eyes dark with want.
Without another word they tumbled onto the bed together, bodies tangling as the scene fades out.
—
The next morning…
Wemmbu woke up.
His eyes opened slowly.
Then yesterday came rushing back.
The bus.
The room assignment.
The bathroom.
The kiss.
“…”
He buried his face in the pillow.
“…Oh.”
“…I am so unbelievably fucked.”