Keshav woke up with a satisfied smile on his face, remembering the previous night's events. He reached over to find Jasmine still sleeping beside him, her soft breaths filling the room. He watched her for a moment, taking in her peaceful expression, before gently shaking her awake.
She stirred, her eyes opening slowly as she came back to consciousness. For a moment, she looked dazed, her mind still lost in the remnants of sleep. Then, her eyes locked onto Keshav, and a small smile played on her lips. "Morning," she murmured, her voice still laced with sleep.
"Morning," he responded, mirroring her smile. He shifted closer to her, pulling her into a tight embrace. "How did you sleep?" he asked, planting a soft kiss on her forehead.
"Like a rock," she replied, leaning into him with a contented sigh. "You wore me out." There was a hint of teasing in her tone, her eyes sparkling with mischief.
After a few moments of sleepy cuddling, they reluctantly disentangled themselves and got out of bed. They both took turns showering and getting ready, each stealing a few lingering glances at the other. The electricity between them was palpable, the memory of the previous night still fresh in their minds.
Keshav walked back into the room, a towel slung around his waist, while Jasmine exited the bathroom moments later, clad in only her underwear and a baggy shirt. She couldn't help noticing the way his gaze lingered on her, a small thrill running through her at his obvious appreciation.
They emerged from their room, the air between them still crackling with tension. They were careful to maintain a respectable distance in public, but the unspoken connection between them was palpable. They walked side by side down the hallway, their shoulders almost brushing, and she could sense him stealing glances at her when he thought she wasn't looking.
Keshav followed behind her, his gaze lingering on the sway of her hips beneath the oversized shirt. It took everything in him not to reach out and take her hand, to pull her back into the privacy of their room and pick up where they left off.
They arrived at the breakfast table, the smell of sizzling eggs and frying bacon filling the air. Ms Kumar was already seated, sipping a cup of coffee as she scrolled through her phone. She looked up as they entered, a warm smile spreading across her face.
Then Ms. Kumar comments "You 2 were very loud last night."
Jasmine's cheeks immediately flamed with embarrassment, her face turning a deep shade of red. Keshav, meanwhile, tried to maintain a nonchalant expression, but there was a hint of a smirk playing on his lips.
As they ate their breakfast, there was a palpable tension in the room. Jasmine was still flustered from Ms. Kumar's comment, and Keshav was trying not to laugh at her reaction. They exchanged a few awkward glances, each silently daring the other to comment on the previous night's activities.
Finally, Jasmine could take it no longer. She cleared her throat and spoke up. "We, uh, we were watching a movie last night," she said, her voice betraying her nervousness. "Yeah," Keshav agreed quickly. "A really loud movie."
Ms. Kumar raised an eyebrow, her disbelief clearly written across her face. She took a long sip of her coffee, eyeing them both over the rim of her cup. "Really? What movie was it?" she asked, her tone laced with skepticism.
"Um... it was, uh..." Keshav fumbled for an answer, his mind going blank. Jasmine jumped in, trying to salvage the situation. "It was a... a horror movie," she said, her voice shaky. "Yeah, a really loud horror movie."
The lie hung in the air, unconvincing in the extreme. Ms. Kumar set down her coffee cup, her gaze narrowing as she looked between them. "You know, I'm not an idiot," she said dryly. "I know what you two were doing."
Jasmine's face turned an even deeper shade of red at Ms. Kumar's blunt statement. Keshav tried to keep a neutral expression, but he couldn't hide the slight twitch of his mouth as he fought back a grin.
Ms. Kumar shook her head, her expression a mix of exasperation and amusement. "Honestly," she said, a hint of a smile playing on her lips. "You two need to learn how to be quieter."
Jasmine was mortified, her embarrassment reaching new heights. Keshav just chuckled, unable to contain the amusement any longer. "We'll try," he said, his voice thick with suppressed laughter.
Ms. Kumar rolled her eyes, returning to her coffee. "See that you do," she said dryly. "I don't need to be waking up in the middle of the night because you two can't control yourselves."
Jasmine and Keshav hastily made their escape back to the safety of their room. They hurried inside, closing the door behind them with a soft click. Once the door was shut, they both collapsed onto the bed, their pent-up tension finally released in a shared bark of laughter.
They sat down on the bed, their laughter subsiding as they turned their focus to the task at hand. Keshav nodded, a serious expression on his face. "We need to figure out how to access the dungeon and get more info about it," he said. "It's the only way we're going to progress and get stronger."