Chapter 15

The next morning, sunlight filtered softly through the curtains of Perth’s bedroom, casting warm streaks of light across the sheets.

Santa woke up slowly, still half asleep at first. Then he remembered last night.

The kisses.

Perth’s hands on his waist.

The way Perth had looked at him afterward, soft and completely gone for him.

Heat immediately rushed to Santa’s face as he buried it briefly into the pillow with a quiet groan.

A soft laugh came from somewhere nearby. Santa lifted his head instantly.

Perth was leaning against the bedroom doorway already dressed in loose sweatpants and a black t-shirt, his hair still slightly messy from sleep. He had two mugs in his hands and a dangerously amused expression on his face.

“You’re blushing,” Perth said immediately.

Santa glared at him. “Shut up.”

Unfortunately, that only made Perth smile wider. Santa hated how attractive he looked this early in the morning.

Perth walked closer before handing him one of the mugs carefully. “Coffee peace offering.”

Santa accepted it suspiciously. “For what crime?”

“For making you embarrassed.”

“You’re not sorry at all.”

“Not even a little.”

Santa tried to stay annoyed, but it became difficult when Perth sat beside him on the bed close enough for their shoulders to brush lightly.

The contact felt natural now. Dangerously natural.

Since it was the weekend, neither of them had classes to rush to. The condo remained quiet around them while the city slowly woke up outside.

After a while, Santa stretched slightly before getting out of bed. He walked toward the dresser automatically, already knowing which drawer to open.

At some point during the past weeks, he had started leaving things at Perth’s condo without even realizing it. First it had been a hoodie after staying over late for a movie. Then a charger. Then comfortable clothes. Now part of the drawer beside Perth’s bed was basically his.

Santa stared briefly at the folded shirts inside before laughing softly to himself.

“You really let me move in without noticing,” he muttered amusedly.

Perth leaned back against the headboard with a lazy smile. “Too late to kick you out now.”

Santa grabbed one of his shirts from the drawer. “Maybe I should start paying rent.”

Perth’s eyes followed him quietly for a second. “You can pay me back by kissing me.”

The teasing tone was still there, but softer this time. Santa felt warmth spread through his chest again as he turned away before Perth could notice too much.

After getting ready, Santa walked back into the living room while fixing the sleeves of his hoodie. Perth was sitting on the couch scrolling absentmindedly through his phone, though he looked up immediately the second Santa appeared.

For a moment, Perth simply stared at him.

Santa raised an eyebrow. “What?”

Perth blinked like he had been caught. “Nothing.”

The he cleared his throat awkwardly before putting his phone aside.

“So…” He rubbed the back of his neck briefly, suddenly looking far less confident than usual. “Is it still okay if I take you on that date today?”

Santa stared at him for a second. After everything that happened last night, Perth was still asking like he genuinely thought Santa might refuse him.

Honestly unbelievable.

Santa stepped closer slowly until he stood directly in front of the couch.

“You kissed me like your life depended on it yesterday,” he reminded him softly. “And you still don’t know the answer to that?”

Perth looked suspiciously flustered immediately. “That’s not the point.”

Santa finally laughed quietly before leaning down slightly, brushing a quick kiss against Perth’s lips.

“Yes,” he murmured against his mouth. “It’s still okay.”

*

Perth brought him to an aquarium.

The moment they stepped inside, Santa slowed down. The blue lights reflected against the glass tanks, casting soft shadows over his face. Schools of fish moved together in smooth waves while children ran around excitedly nearby. The atmosphere felt calm, almost unreal compared to the noise of the city outside.

Perth watched Santa more than the exhibits.

Santa moved from one tank to another with visible fascination, stopping every few seconds to take pictures. Sometimes it was the marine animals. Sometimes it was Perth standing in front of the glass because Santa insisted on taking photos of him, of them too.

“Smile properly,” Santa complained while pointing his phone at him.

“I am smiling.”

“You look like someone threatened you.”

Perth rolled his eyes, but the corners of his mouth lifted anyway.

At the tunnel aquarium, Santa tilted his head back to stare at the stingrays swimming above them. The blue light reflected in his eyes, making them look brighter than usual. Perth felt his chest tighten unexpectedly.

Cute.

The thought came so naturally that it caught him off guard.

Santa suddenly turned toward him. “Why are you staring?”

“Nothing,” Perth answered too quickly.

Santa narrowed his eyes suspiciously before snapping another picture of them together.

Near the gift shop, Santa crouched slightly in front of a shelf full of plush toys. His fingers brushed over different sea animals until he picked up a small turtle.

“This one looks sleepy,” he said quietly.

Perth looked at the plushie for two seconds before grabbing it from the shelf.

Santa blinked. “What are you doing?”

“Buying it.”

“You don’t have to.”

“I know.”

The employee handed the turtle to Santa a few minutes later, and despite his earlier protests, Santa held it against his chest for the rest of the morning.

They had lunch at a small restaurant tucked between narrow streets not far from the aquarium. The place was warm and cosy, with soft music playing in the background and yellow lights hanging from the ceiling.

Santa stole shrimps from Perth’s plate several times.

Perth noticed. He just chose not to say anything.

After eating, they wandered around the city without any real destination. Santa occasionally stopped to take random pictures of buildings, signs, or Perth when he was not paying attention.

At one point, while Perth waited for Santa outside a small shop, a girl approached him.

“Excuse me,” she said shyly. “Can I have your number?”

Perth blinked in surprise before offering her an apologetic smile. “Sorry, no.”

The girl looked disappointed but accepted the rejection politely before leaving.

Santa had witnessed the whole thing from the shop. For some reason, the answer relieved him more than it should have. Still, something unpleasant settled in his chest afterward.

About thirty minutes later, it happened again. This time, they were crossing a busy street when another girl stopped Perth with obvious interest written all over her face.

“You’re really handsome,” she admitted. “Could I maybe get your Instagram?”

Perth replied without hesitation, “Sorry. I’m not interested.”

Santa stared ahead while the conversation happened beside him, his grip tightening slightly around the turtle plushie.

The girl eventually left, though not before smiling one last time at Perth.

Santa suddenly felt irritated again.

It was stupid. Perth had done absolutely nothing wrong. He rejected both girls immediately without encouraging them even a little. So why did Santa still feel annoyed every time someone looked at him like that?

He hated the feeling.

Perth noticed the silence beside him after a while. “You okay?”

“Yeah.”

“You’ve been quiet.”

“I’m just tired.”

Perth looked unconvinced but did not push further.

A few seconds later, Santa suddenly reached for his hand.

Perth looked down immediately, surprised. Santa kept his eyes forward as if nothing happened, though his ears had turned slightly red. His fingers tightened around Perth’s hand before he could overthink it.

Perth’s expression softened instantly. He intertwined their fingers without saying a word.

The warmth of Perth’s hand somehow calmed Santa a little, even if the strange feeling in his chest never fully disappeared.

As the sky slowly turned orange, Perth brought him near the river to watch the sunset.

The place was peaceful compared to the crowded streets from earlier. The water reflected the golden light beautifully while the evening breeze moved the grass around them. A few people walked nearby, but the area remained quiet enough for Santa to hear the distant sound of the river.

They sat down on the grass side by side. Santa placed the turtle plushie beside him while Perth leaned back slightly on his hands, watching the sunset.

The orange light made everything around them softer.

For a moment, Santa forgot about the irritation from earlier.

Then footsteps approached. A man stopped near them, glancing at Perth before offering a confident smile.

“Sorry to bother you,” he said. “But could I get your number?”

Perth looked surprised by the sudden interruption.

Before he even had time to answer, Santa snapped. “He’s already taken.”

The words came out sharper than intended.

The man blinked, clearly caught off guard.

Santa only realized what he had said after the silence that followed. His face immediately grew hot.

The stranger awkwardly apologized before leaving quickly.

Meanwhile, Perth remained completely still beside him.

Santa stared stubbornly at the river, refusing to look in his direction. His heart was beating way too fast now.

“I didn’t mean to say it like that,” he muttered after a few seconds.

Perth was still staring at him.

“So,” Perth said slowly, unable to hide the smile forming on his face, “I’m taken?”

Santa wanted the ground to swallow him whole. “You know what I meant.”

“No, I don’t think I do.”

Santa finally turned toward him with an annoyed expression, only to freeze slightly when he saw Perth smiling like that, soft and fond. Like Santa had just said something Perth secretly wanted to hear all day.

Santa’s chest tightened again, though this time for a completely different reason.

“You’re impossible,” Santa complained quietly.

Perth laughed under his breath before moving a little closer to him on the grass.

“I don’t mind being claimed by you.”

Santa stopped breathing for a second.

The heat rushed instantly to his face, spreading all the way to his ears. He quickly looked away toward the river again, but it changed absolutely nothing. If anything, it only made him more aware of Perth sitting so close beside him.

Perth noticed every single reaction.

The blush.

The nervous silence.

The way Santa’s fingers kept fidgeting with the plush turtle now resting on his lap.

Cute.

Way too cute.

Perth shifted even closer until their shoulders brushed lightly together. Santa immediately stiffened beside him.

“Perth,” he mumbled weakly, clearly flustered now.

“Hm?”

“You’re doing that on purpose.”

Perth smiled a little. “Doing what?”

Santa turned toward him with disbelief written all over his face, only to regret it instantly because Perth was suddenly much closer than expected.

The sunset light reflected softly in his eyes.

Santa’s heart nearly gave up.

Perth slowly lifted one hand toward him, giving Santa enough time to pull away if he wanted to.

He didn’t.

Perth’s fingers brushed gently against Santa’s cheek, barely there at first.

Santa froze.

The touch was warm and careful, making the blush on his face deepen immediately. Perth could literally feel the heat against his fingertips.

“You’re really red,” Perth whispered teasingly.

Santa glared at him without any actual conviction behind it.

“Shut up.”

Perth laughed quietly. The sound only made Santa more embarrassed.

The sun had almost fully disappeared now, leaving behind soft orange and pink colors across the sky. The evening air felt colder than before, though neither of them moved away. The teasing atmosphere disappeared little by little, replaced by something quieter. More serious.

Perth’s hand was holding Santa’s one. For once, he looked nervous again.

Santa noticed it immediately.

“What is it?” he asked softly.

Perth stayed silent for a few seconds, staring at the river ahead of them as if trying to organize his thoughts properly. Then he finally spoke.

“Can we talk seriously for a minute?”

Santa’s chest tightened slightly at the tone. Still, he nodded.

Perth exhaled slowly before turning toward him completely.

“When I asked you out today…” he started quietly, “it wasn’t just because I wanted a date.”

Santa looked at him carefully.

“I mean, obviously I did want that,” Perth corrected quickly, making Santa snort softly despite himself. Then Perth became serious again. “But I also wanted to know where we stand.”

The honesty in his voice made Santa’s heart beat faster.

Perth hesitated briefly before asking the question that had clearly been sitting in his mind all day.

“Do you trust me again?”

Santa’s expression softened immediately. For a moment, he looked down at his hands, thinking carefully about the answer.

Perth waited silently beside him, though the nervousness was obvious in his eyes.

Santa appreciated that he asked instead of assuming, because the truth was complicated.

Losing trust had hurt.

And rebuilding it was not something magical that happened overnight just because feelings were still there.

Santa took a quiet breath before finally speaking honestly.

“Fully?” he admitted softly. “No.”

Perth’s face fell slightly, but he stayed quiet and let him continue.

“You hurt me before, Perth.” Santa’s voice remained calm, though quieter now. “And trust like that doesn’t come back in one day.”

Perth lowered his eyes immediately. “I know.”

“But,” Santa added after a short pause, “I do believe you.”

Perth looked back at him instantly.

Santa’s fingers tightened slightly around the turtle plushie resting on his lap.

“I trust you enough to be here with you,” he continued honestly. “Enough to let you get close to me again.”

His cheeks became faintly pink afterward, though he forced himself not to look away this time.

“And maybe…” he said more quietly, “Enough to think about us getting back together.”

The words clearly caught Perth off guard, hope appeared in his expression, he felt relieved. Like someone who had been holding their breath for a very long time and could finally breathe again.

For a while, neither of them spoke again.

Perth was still holding Santa’s hand loosely between them, his thumb occasionally brushing against Santa’s skin absentmindedly. Santa could feel his own heartbeat getting faster again the longer Perth looked at him like that.

Like he was trying to memorize every expression on his face.

Then Perth shifted completely toward him.

Santa immediately grew nervous again.

Perth pulled one leg closer on the grass so he could fully face him now, their knees touching properly this time.

“Santa,” he said softly.

Something in his tone made Santa’s stomach tighten.

Perth looked strangely serious again, though there was still warmth in his eyes.

“I’m going to ask you something,” he admitted quietly.

Santa’s breath caught slightly.

Perth gave him a few seconds before continuing.

“And if you don’t want to hear it,” he said carefully, “You have to stop me now.”

The evening breeze moved softly around them. Santa stared at him without speaking, his heart was beating so hard now that it almost hurt. But he still didn’t stop him.

Perth’s expression softened immediately at the silent permission.

Slowly, carefully, he lifted both hands toward Santa’s face. Santa’s breath faltered when Perth cupped his cheeks gently between his palms. The touch felt warm despite the cold evening air.

Perth’s thumbs brushed lightly against the skin under Santa’s eyes while he looked at him with an expression Santa had missed more than he wanted to admit.

Something tender.

Something painfully sincere.

“Santa,” Perth whispered.

Santa could barely breathe properly now. “Yes?”

Perth smiled faintly at how shy he sounded before his expression turned serious once more.

“Can I be your boyfriend?”

Everything around Santa seemed to go quiet after that.

The river.

The distant voices nearby.

Even the cold breeze.

All he could focus on was Perth looking at him waiting for his answer. Santa’s face was burning under Perth’s hands. He could feel his own heartbeat everywhere. He swallowed softly before finally answering.

“Yes.”

The word came out quieter than intended, almost shy.

But Perth heard it perfectly.

The surprise and happiness that appeared on his face immediately afterward made Santa’s stomach flip.

“Yeah?” Perth asked softly, almost disbelieving.

Santa laughed nervously at the expression on his face before nodding again.

“Yes, idiot.”

Perth smiled so brightly that Santa felt his own face grow even warmer.

For a second, neither of them moved. Then Perth slowly leaned closer. Santa’s breath caught immediately. The movement was careful, giving him enough time to pull away if he wanted to.

Santa stayed perfectly still while Perth closed the distance between them, his hands remaining gentle against Santa’s face the entire time. Their foreheads brushed lightly first, then Perth kissed him.

Santa immediately melted into him with a quiet sound that disappeared against Perth’s lips. Perth deepened the kiss at the reaction, one of his thumbs brushing tenderly against Santa’s cheek. Santa’s fingers instinctively grabbed the front of Perth’s shirt to pull him closer. One of Perth’s hands slid from his cheek to the back of his neck, fingers tangling lightly in his hair while he kissed him harder.

The kisses grew slower only when breathing became difficult. Even then, Perth kept stealing small kisses between breaths, like he physically could not stop himself now that he finally had Santa back in his arms again.

Santa could barely think straight anymore. His cheeks were burning. His lips tingled. And Perth was still looking at him like he was the most precious thing in the world.

“You have no idea how much I wanted this,” Perth admitted quietly against his lips.

Santa’s chest tightened painfully at the honesty in his voice.

Instead of answering, he leaned forward first this time and kissed Perth again.

Perth made a soft surprised sound before immediately kissing him back with the same intensity as before.

By the time they finally separated again, both of them were breathless.

Santa hid part of his face against Perth’s shoulder almost immediately afterward, completely overwhelmed and embarrassed by how fast his heart was beating.

Perth laughed softly under his breath, one hand sliding comfortingly up and down Santa’s back.

“You’re shy now baby?” he teased gently.

“Don’t talk to me.”

“That bad?”

Santa groaned quietly against his shoulder, making Perth laugh again.

The sound was warm and affectionate.

After a moment, Perth rested his cheek lightly against the top of Santa’s head while holding him close.

Neither of them paid attention of outside world anymore.

*

As they left the riverside, neither of them seemed eager for the evening to end. The excitement from what had happened still lingered between them, making every glance feel different from before. Perth kept stealing looks at Santa while they walked, unable to fully process the fact that the boy beside him was now his boyfriend.

After a few minutes, he cleared his throat and asked, “Do you want me to take you back to your dorm?”

Santa looked at him briefly before shaking his head.

“I’d rather stay with you.”

The answer came so naturally that Perth felt warmth spread through his chest. He tried not to smile too much, but judging by the amused look Santa gave him, he wasn’t doing a very good job.

They stopped to grab dinner on the way back to the condo. The conversation flowed easily, shifting from random stories about their friends to teasing remarks that made both of them laugh. Every now and then, Perth would catch himself staring, only to quickly look away when Santa noticed. It was ridiculous, really. He had spent weeks around Santa, yet somehow everything felt new now.

——
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