Chapter 14 Night Confessions
Oom Eisaya spent the entire day trying not to think.
This, unfortunately, resulted in her thinking about everything.
She sat in her Architecture class, staring at a half-finished plate model that had not changed in the last hour, her pencil hovering uselessly above it while her brain replayed the same moments over and over again.
Bam's arms around her.
Bam's voice, soft and quiet in the dark.
"...don't go..."
And then—
Morning.
Distance.
"...you shouldn't stay here overnight."
Oom groaned softly, pressing her forehead against the table. "I am being emotionally bullied by the same person in two different fonts."
"You're doing it again."
Oom didn't even lift her head. "If you say I'm spiraling, I will deny it."
"I wasn't going to say spiraling," Yada replied, leaning casually against the table. "I was going to say you look like someone who fell in love and now regrets having feelings."
Oom slowly turned her head.
"I do not regret it."
Yada raised an eyebrow. "Oh?"
"I regret the circumstances," Oom corrected. "Not the feelings."
"That's worse."
"I know."
Yada grinned. "So... are we going back tonight?"
Oom closed her eyes.
"...we are not making this a routine."
"So yes."
Oom sighed.
Because at this point—
There was no point denying it.
"Yes."
---
Night came too fast.
Or maybe Oom just wasn't ready for it.
Either way, she found herself standing in front of the club room again, her heart beating faster than usual, her thoughts heavier than they had been before.
Because things were different now.
It wasn't just curiosity anymore.
It wasn't just confusion.
It wasn't just reacting to whatever Bam did.
Now—
Oom knew.
She understood what she was feeling.
And that made everything more dangerous.
"...I'm really doing this," she murmured.
Her hand rested on the door for a moment before she pushed it open.
The room was quiet.
Dim.
Familiar.
And there—
On the couch—
Bam Saralee.
Asleep.
Waiting.
Oom stepped inside slowly, closing the door behind her. She didn't hesitate this time. She didn't stand there questioning herself. She simply walked forward, drawn in by something she no longer pretended to resist.
"I'm here," she said softly.
Bam reacted instantly.
Like always.
Her hand reached out, fingers curling around Oom's wrist, pulling her forward with quiet urgency. Oom barely had time to steady herself before she was pulled down onto the couch, into that familiar space, into that warmth she had come to recognize too well.
"...you came back..."
Oom exhaled, her heart softening. "I always do."
The words slipped out before she could stop them.
Bam didn't question it.
She simply held her tighter.
There was something different tonight.
Oom felt it immediately.
The way Bam's grip wasn't just firm—but almost desperate. The way her breathing was uneven, not as calm as before. The way her fingers clutched at Oom's shirt like she was afraid of losing her.
"...stay..."
"I'm here," Oom whispered, her voice gentler now. "I'm not going anywhere."
Bam shook her head slightly against Oom's neck.
"Not like that..."
Oom stilled.
"...what do you mean?"
No answer.
Not directly.
But Bam's arms tightened, pulling her impossibly closer, their bodies pressed together with no space left between them. Her face buried deeper into Oom's neck, her breath warm and uneven against her skin.
"...don't leave me behind..."
Oom's heart clenched.
Behind?
"...I don't understand," she murmured.
Bam's fingers trembled slightly where they gripped Oom's shirt.
"...everyone leaves..."
The words were quiet.
Broken.
Nothing like the composed voice Oom heard during the day.
Oom froze.
Because this—
This wasn't just affection anymore.
This wasn't just softness.
This was something deeper.
Something painful.
She hesitated for only a second before her arms wrapped around Bam more firmly, one hand moving up to gently cradle the back of her head.
"I'm not everyone," Oom said softly.
Bam went still.
Completely still.
As if those words had reached somewhere deeper than anything else.
"...you'll get tired..."
Oom swallowed.
"No."
"...you will..."
"I won't."
"You don't know that."
Oom tightened her hold slightly.
"Then I'll learn."
Silence filled the space between them, thick and heavy, but not uncomfortable. It felt like something was unraveling—slowly, carefully—right there in her arms.
Bam shifted slightly, pulling back just enough for their faces to be close.
Too close.
Oom's breath caught.
Bam's eyes were still closed, her lashes resting softly against her cheeks, but her expression—
It wasn't peaceful.
It was vulnerable.
"...why are you still here..." Bam whispered.
Oom's heart pounded.
"Because I want to be."
That was the truth.
No hesitation.
No overthinking.
Just—
Honest.
Bam's lips parted slightly, like she wanted to say something more.
But instead—
She moved.
Closer.
Her hand slid up, resting lightly against Oom's cheek, hesitant but intentional. The touch was soft, almost unsure, but it grounded Oom instantly, pulling her deeper into the moment.
"...don't disappear..."
"I won't."
Bam didn't respond with words.
She responded by closing the distance.
This time—
There was no accident.
No unconscious brushing.
No fleeting contact.
Her lips met Oom's.
Soft at first.
Testing.
But then—
Something shifted.
The kiss deepened.
Not rushed.
Not aggressive.
But emotional.
Like everything she couldn't say was being poured into that single moment.
Oom's breath hitched, her hands instinctively tightening around Bam, pulling her closer—not resisting, not hesitating.
Responding.
Because this—
This wasn't confusion anymore.
This wasn't curiosity.
This was something real.
Something that had weight.
Something that meant something.
Bam's grip tightened slightly, her fingers curling into Oom's shirt again as if anchoring herself, as if she needed this—needed her—in a way she couldn't fully understand when she was awake.
The kiss lingered.
Warm.
Unsteady.
Honest.
And when Bam finally pulled back, her forehead resting lightly against Oom's, her breathing soft and uneven, Oom knew—
Everything had changed.
"...stay with me..."
The words were barely a whisper.
But they carried more weight than anything else.
Oom's chest tightened, her heart racing in a way that felt both terrifying and certain.
"I am," she whispered back.
And she meant it.
Because now—
There was no denying it.
No pretending this was something small.
No pretending this was something she could walk away from.
This wasn't just a secret anymore.
This wasn't just a strange situation.
This was—
Serious.
Oom swallowed, her hand still resting gently against Bam's face, her thumb brushing lightly against her skin.
"...you're really going to ruin me," she murmured softly.
Bam didn't respond.
She just leaned into her touch.
Closer.
Trusting.
And Oom—
Stayed.