"Relaxation and Reality"

The warmth of the bath began to dissipate, and with a heavy sigh, Kai reluctantly let go of Ray's hair, his fingers trailing down the boy's face. "Time to get out," he said, his voice laced with regret. Ray stirred, his eyes opening with a groan. "Do we have to?" he whined, his body still relaxed and limp. Kai chuckled, a soft sound. "Yes, we do. We can't stay in here all night." With a resigned expression, Kai climbed out of the bath, water dripping from his body as he reached for the soft white robes that hung on the back of the door. He handed one to Ray, who wrapped it around himself with a grateful sigh. As they left the bathroom, Ray made a beeline for Kai's bed, flopping down onto the soft surface with a contented sigh. Kai followed, settling down beside him. Ray snuggled into Kai's arms, and Kai wrapped himself around the boy, holding him close. The warmth and comfort of the moment enveloped them, and for a while, they simply lay there, enjoying each other's company. But their peaceful interlude was short-lived, as the sound of a phone ringing broke the silence. Ray's phone was closest to Kai, and with a scowl, he reached out to grab it. He glared at the screen, his eyes narrowing as he saw Rakai's name flashing on the screen. "Rakai," Kai said, his voice low and annoyed. There was a pause on the other end of the line, and then Rakai's voice spoke up, confused. "Ray?" "No, it's Kai," he replied, his tone cautious. The line went silent, and then Rakai spoke up again, his voice questioning. "Kai? I could have sworn I dialed Ray's number. Did I get the wrong number?" Kai's mind racing, he quickly thought up a story. "No, you got the right number. Ray left his phone outside, and I found it. I'm on my way to return it to him." Rakai's voice was skeptical. "Where are you?" Kai hesitated, not wanting to reveal their location. "I'm right outside Ray's dorm, about to hand over the phone." The line went silent again, and Kai could almost hear Rakai's thoughts working. Suddenly, Rakai spoke up, his voice tight. "Never mind, I'll talk to him in the morning. Goodnight, Kai." Kai let out a breath as the line went dead. He looked down at Ray, who was still snuggled into his arms, oblivious to the conversation that had just taken place. As Kai's attention refocused on Ray, he couldn't help but feel a sense of unease. Rakai wasn't stupid, and he would figure out that Kai had been lying. The question was, what would he do with that information?