Roomies in Arms - Part 5

Everyone in this story is 18+

The dorm was mercifully quiet for once.

I closed the door behind me with a relieved sigh, leaning into the silence like someone who'd narrowly escaped death by emotionally charged conversation. The talk with Asher still throbbed in my chest—a low, complicated ache I didn’t have the energy to unpack just yet. For now, I just needed a moment of order. Of routine. Of very British, very beige coping.

I placed my scarf neatly on the hook, removed my blazer with practiced precision, and padded toward the kitchenette. A quick mental tally of my emotional bandwidth confirmed I had enough left to construct a sandwich and boil water.

The Academic Advisor had been surprisingly helpful, though far too enthusiastic. Loud. Unapologetically American.

But then again, I thought, aren't they all?

I opened the pantry, extracted the Marmite, and slathered it generously across two slices of brown bread like someone performing a pagan ritual. Then came the Earl Grey—hot. Just the way I liked it.

I took one contemplative bite of my sandwich.

Then I heard it.

A faint, rhythmic sound from Lex’s room.

The door was open. Lex wasn’t in there—I’d seen him leave earlier in a cloud of vape smoke and half-buttoned enthusiasm.

I hesitated.

Then, like every doomed protagonist before me, I walked toward the sound.

Lex’s room was a battlefield of hoodies, vinyl records, open energy drink cans, and the vague scent of leather and boy. But what caught my eye—what froze me—was the sock on the bed.

It stood upright. Like a cursed totem.

I blinked.

Then came another moan.

My eyes darted to the desk. The source: a monitor, glowing softly. A headset had been yanked from its AUX port, the unplugged cord coiled like a snake on the floor.

I stepped over it carefully.

And there it was. A hentai. Playing in glorious, animated depravity.

The title was still partially on-screen: "Seishin no Tentakuru: Bi no Dorei-tachi" (Tentacles of the Spirit: Bi Slaves of the Coliseum)

I should have walked away.

But I didn’t.

My eyes widened, my lips parted slightly. It was... surprisingly well-animated. Emotional, even. There was a plot. A doomed gladiator torn between loyalty and lust. And tentacles, of course.

Then a sex scene.

My hand drifted down.

I rubbed absentmindedly at the front of my trousers, pulse beginning to throb behind my ears.

Then—

The front door creaked open.

“Anyone home?”

Panic surged through me. I bolted upright, tried to turn—

—and tripped.

The aux cord snagged around my ankle like a vengeful eel. I toppled sideways, knocking over a can of Monster and slamming my face directly into a discarded hoodie on the floor.

Lex’s voice echoed from the living room.

“Is someone here? Why is there a sandwich with moldy honey or some shit on the table?”

Groaning, I lay face down in what I dearly hoped was just fabric.

A moment later, Lex appeared in the doorway.

“Sebby? Is that you?”

Pause.

“What the actual fuck are you doing?” Lex asked, his voice more amused than angry, eyebrows arched.

I pushed myself up awkwardly, brushing off the hoodie I’d faceplanted into.

"Laundry," I said, entirely too fast. "There was... a dust bunny. From under your door. Very aggressive."

Lex blinked once, then grinned. “Cool. Then while you're at it, could you take my cum sock and the hoodie you’re laying on to the washer?”

"To be honest, I’d attended more than enough boarding schools to not be entirely shocked by its existence. It wasn’t the concept that made me flinch—it was just the hygiene part of it. But almost on cue, I still recoiled slightly. “Eww, is that really a cum sock?”

“Yes?”

“Have you heard about tissues?”

“Yeah, but they stick to your dickhead. Socks are better.”

“Okay, your choice, I guess. You take your own cum sock into the washer, and I’ll set a long double wash program.

Lex sauntered over to his desk and clicked his mouse. "Ah, forgot to turn off Mother."

I froze. "Pardon? Mother?"

He glanced over his shoulder. "Yeah. My computer. That’s what I call her."

"And you watch—pardon me—hentai on your ‘Mother’? That’s concerning."

Lex shrugged, totally unbothered. “I mean, yeah. And we already have stepbrothers boinking in the room next to us, so... no shame, I guess. Anyway—" he smirked. "You like?"

"What?"

"The hentai. Seishin no Tentakuru.

I could feel my soul trying to exit through my ears. "Oh dear. I mean... I’ve on occasion indulged in some select, quality..."

"So that’s a yes." Lex beamed. "That’s so cool, bro. I really love Kazuya. He’s so hot. The one with the light hair and the boner for both his male and female best friend."

I coughed. "I suppose, after watching some, he could come across as a tad... intriguing."

Lex’s eyes lit up. “Dude. We should watch the first episode properly. I’ll cast it to the TV.”

I hesitated. “Only if I can Purell the little leather couch facing it. And if you, um, remove the cum sock — as you so quaintly put it.”

He laughed. “Deal.”

As I spritzed disinfectant like a Victorian nurse preparing for plague triage, I offered, “By the way, Marmite isn’t moldy honey. It’s a rich, savory yeast extract. Full of B vitamins.”

“Still sounds like moldy honey to me.”

And just like that, we sat side by side—him in boxers, me with a tea and watched animated tentacles do unspeakable things. It was possibly the most relaxed I’d felt all week.