Chapter 18

When Becky turned around after closing the door, she found Freen staring at her—arms crossed, eyes locked onto hers, unblinking. Like a wounded tigress, ready to pounce.

"Now spill," Freen commanded, her voice low, expectant.

Becky feigned a yawn, stretching her arms dramatically. "What? I'm tired. Let's sleep," she mumbled, making her way toward the bed.

But Freen moved swiftly, blocking her path. Their eyes met in a silent battle—Freen's gaze sharp and unwavering, as if her sheer will alone could force the words out of Becky's mouth.

Becky, ever the strategist, knew she had to play smart. She straightened her posture, then dramatically bowed. "Your Highness," she said with exaggerated reverence. When she looked up, her expression was mock-serious. "Why have you never told me that you are the Freen Chankimha?" She crossed her arms, mirroring Freen's stance, waiting for an answer.

Freen arched a brow. "What makes you think we're that close?" she replied coolly, keeping her composure.

"EXACTLY!" Becky shot back, her voice triumphant, as if declaring checkmate. "Which is precisely why I won't tell you Grandma's secret!" With that, she spun on her heels and climbed into bed.

Freen let out a huff, her frustration evident. Becky giggled under the covers.

But Freen wasn't giving up that easily. With stomping feet, she marched toward Becky, her determination unwavering. Just as Becky pulled the blanket up to her chin, Freen snatched it away.

"No way you're sleeping without telling me the secret," she declared, her tigress mode fully activated.

Becky smirked, enjoying the game. "It's between me and Grandma," she said, unfazed.

Freen narrowed her eyes. "Well, I'm sure it's about me, which means it belongs to me. Now spill," she demanded, taking slow, deliberate steps closer, her movements predatory.

Becky, ever the clever princess, clasped her hands together. "Your Highness," she pleaded, her voice sweet and her eyes wide with innocence. "Today has been too much—so much information, so many surprises. I need to journal everything so I won't forget any details. Please, spare me the night." She even pouted for extra effect.

Freen exhaled, her mind replaying the whirlwind of events from earlier. She knew Becky had been through a lot. Begrudgingly, she rolled her eyes and sulked back to her bed, arms crossed. "If you call me 'Highness' one more time, I swear—"

"Goodnight, my Highness," Becky teased.

BAM!

A fluffy pillow smacked Becky right in the face.

"Seriously?!" Becky sat up, grabbing a pillow of her own. Without hesitation, she launched it back at Freen. "Oh, I'm so sorry, Your Highness—but you started it!"

Freen shot up from her bed with purpose, stomping toward Becky's side. Becky, realizing she might've pushed too far, gulped and shut her eyes, bracing for another hit.

Instead, Freen pulled the blanket around her, wrapping her tightly like a burrito.

"Gotcha!" Freen grinned, securing Becky in place, practically hovering over her. She giggled at her own ridiculousness.

"P'Fieeeeen!" Becky whined, squirming.

"Now spill, or you'll stay like this forever," Freen warned, her grip tightening.

Becky laughed, secretly loving this playful, mischievous side of Freen. "Okay, okay! But first, unwrap me!" she pleaded.

Freen narrowed her eyes. "Nice try," she muttered. Instead of freeing her, she repositioned Becky—sitting her upright and wrapping the blanket around her again, this time like a tiny ghost, leaving only her face visible. They were now nose to nose.

"Now spill," Freen ordered one last time. "And don't even think about editing Grandma's secret, or I'll edit you out of this room." Her warning was laced with playful teasing.

Becky sighed dramatically, realizing she had no way out.

"Alright, alright," she relented. "Here's what Grandma said..."

And just like that, the game was over—but the night was far from it.

"But first, promise you won't let Grandma know that you know?" Becky whispered, her voice teasing yet cautious.

"Uh-hmm," Freen replied impatiently, gesturing for her to hurry up.

"And also promise me you won't scold Grandma about it?" Becky added, eyes twinkling with mischief.

"HURRY UP, PLEASE!" Freen groaned, bouncing slightly on her heels in frustration.

Becky finally took a deep breath and began. "Well... you know when I first came here, my dad wanted me to have the best dorm room, but since nothing was available, I had to settle with you." She paused, watching Freen's reaction.

"AND?" Freen pressed, her eyebrows furrowing.

Becky smirked. "Well, let's just say... it was all Grandma's plan. She made sure I got to share your room, even though there were plenty of rooms available at that time."

"NOOO WAY!" Freen's eyes went wide with disbelief. "Actually, your dad must have requested Miss Ornatara, and then Miss Ornatara asked my grandma, and that's how it happened, right? Grandma had no choice, right?" She sought confirmation, waiting for Becky's nod.

But instead, Becky shook her head. "In reverse, P'Freen. In reverse," she corrected, watching as confusion flickered across Freen's face. "Grandma told Miss Ornatara to tell my dad that they had a specially designed, custom room for me and Miss Ornatara had to convince my dad that I had to share it with you."

"NO. FREAKING. WAY!" Freen shot up from the bed, losing it. "IT'S MY ROOM TO BEGIN WITH!" she exclaimed in disbelief, already searching for her phone to scold Grandma on the spot.

Becky yelped and jumped in her way, blocking her. "You promised! You promised you wouldn't scold Grandma! P'Fieeen, please!" she pleaded, grabbing onto Freen's wrist.

"How DARE Grandma do that?! She knows I don't share my personal space! And above all, she actually convinced your dad to let you share my room?" Freen's voice was sharp, her disbelief spilling into the room like a storm breaking through a quiet night. She ran a frustrated hand through her hair, pacing as she tried to make sense of it. "This is ridiculous," she muttered, irritation laced in every word.

Becky, watching Freen's agitation, softened her voice. "Yes, I know, but Grandma only did it because she didn't want you spending your entire college life alone, pushing everyone away, na kha, P'Freen," she said, hoping to soothe her.

Freen exhaled sharply, arms crossing tight over her chest. "Whatever." Her lips pressed into a thin line, her face still painted with annoyance.

Becky, sensing an opportunity, tilted her head with an innocent smirk. "So, are you complaining, P'Freen?" She leaned in slightly. "Or are you saying you don't like that it happened?" Her voice carried the teasing lilt of someone who already knew the answer.

Freen's jaw clenched. "It's not about that!" she snapped, then exhaled, her voice dropping into something quieter, something edged with an emotion she wasn't ready to name. "Only if Grandma knew she was throwing another victim into the fire of my fate..." Her words trailed off, not meeting Becky's eyes.

Becky, always quick to shift the mood, gasped dramatically and took a step back. "Ohhh, don't worry about that, Your Highness!" she teased, pressing a hand to her chest as if in mock fear. "Now that I know how powerful you are, I better maintain my distance—who knows when you'll use your royal influence to get me expelled!"

The tension in the air cracked just a little. The corner of Freen's lips twitched—barely noticeable, but Becky saw it. Victory.

Freen had had enough. With an exaggerated sigh, she spun around and stomped toward her bed, throwing herself onto the mattress with a dramatic huff. "I'm sleeping," she declared—though it was less about sleep and more about sulking. She pulled the blanket up, her back rigid and unmistakably turned away from Becky.

Becky chuckled, shaking her head. Oh, we all know this Becky, don't we? The kind who just can't leave things alone.

With quiet, determined steps, Becky climbed onto Freen's bed. The mattress dipped slightly under her weight as she settled in behind her, taking in the sight of Freen curled up in her signature C shape, her back facing becky. The space between them was small—too small for Becky to resist.

So she didn't. Thinking if freen could hover over me I can hug her too and with that mischievous though she continue.

With a playful glint in her eyes, Becky slipped her arms around Freen from behind, pulling her into a gentle, spooning embrace. She wasn't under the blanket, but that didn't matter. Even through the fabric, warmth seeped through—an undeniable, intoxicating heat.

"Please don't sulk, na kha, P'Fieeeenn," Becky murmured, resting her forehead near the nape of Freen's shoulder. Her voice was a soft, guilty plea. "I'm shoooorrryyyy... I teased you too much, haven't I?"

It was the closest they had ever been.

Becky's heartbeat drummed against Freen's back, her breath warm against the fabric of the blanket. Freen could feel everything—the way Becky's fingers clung just slightly tighter, the way her own body instinctively relaxed despite the pout she was trying to maintain. She could have pulled away.

But she didn't.

Instead, she let herself stay—under the pretense of still being angry, still sulking. But deep down, she wasn't fooling anyone.

Becky, emboldened by the fact that Freen hadn't shaken her off, continued in that same sweet, coaxing tone. "Smile, smile, smile na kha," she whispered, playfully nudging her. More soft words followed, little teases and gentle reassurances, until finally—finally—a small, fleeting smile tugged at Freen's lips, blushing, grinning. But she won't let Becky notice it.

Freen still didn't turn around. She still didn't move. But she exhaled, low and husky.

"Sleep already."

Becky grinned and dare to go one more step to make one more tiny push.

She tightened her grip around Freen, hugging her just a little closer, just a little more mischievously. "Ohkeee~" she hummed in a clearly teasing manner.

Freen was shocked but not surprised with Becky's cute stubborn nature and she was loving it, so she didn't pull away.

Time stilled. The air between them thickened with something unnamed.

Freen had never—never—shared her bed with anyone. She didn't know what it felt like to have someone else tangled in her space, to have their warmth bleed into hers. It was unfamiliar. It was unsettling.

And yet... It was perfect.

It was dreamlike—too dreamy. Even though the ghosts of her past were always ready to claw their way in, even though her mind was wired to keep people at arm's length, but because she was pretending to be angry and sulky, she let that thought fool her fate tonight.

For the first time, they slept together in the same bed—the one that was only ever meant for one.

As the night deepened, the room was bathed in the quiet glow of their warmth, their synchronized breaths weaving an unspoken rhythm into the stillness. Becky's soft, almost musical snores filled the space, while Freen—who had spent years battling restless nights—sank into the kind of slumber she hadn't known in decades.

For the first time, she truly slept.

No mental torment clawing at the edges of her mind. No lingering sadness tugging at her heart. No looming future waiting to be dreaded. No work to use as an escape. Just sleep—deep, uninterrupted, peaceful—like a baby cradled in the safety of a lullaby.

The night had begun with Becky spooning Freen, her arms wrapped securely around her like a protective cocoon. But by the time morning arrived, the roles had reversed, it was freen who was now spooning becky.

Freen, lost in the depths of sleep, had unknowingly pulled Becky into her own embrace, her arms encircling the smaller girl as if she were a plush toy—warm, soft, comforting. In all her years, she had never realized that having another human being nestled against her could feel this natural, this effortless.

And for the first time—she slept in.

No early rising. No disciplined morning run. No rigid structure to force her awake before dawn. Instead, they remained there, entwined in the quiet serenity of shared warmth, lost in a world where time held no urgency.

They fit together like two puzzle pieces, finally locking into place to complete a picture that had long been missing its other half.

And as the sun peeked through the balcony window, casting its golden blush across their tangled limbs, it smiled upon them—as if the universe itself had been waiting for this very moment.