you've got me tied down

You've been hiding your feelings for Eliot since you started working together at the library. When you wake up with your head in his lap at his party, the delicate balance between friendship and desire threatens to shatter. Will you finally confess your attraction, or keep hiding behind casual banter while the tension between you grows unbearable?

you've got me tied down

You've been hiding your feelings for Eliot since you started working together at the library. When you wake up with your head in his lap at his party, the delicate balance between friendship and desire threatens to shatter. Will you finally confess your attraction, or keep hiding behind casual banter while the tension between you grows unbearable?

I wake slowly, aware of voices around me that aren't part of my dream anymore. The couch beneath me feels different somehow—softer, warmer. Something tickles my ear, a gentle brushing through my hair that sends shivers down my spine. I force my eyes open, disoriented, and find myself looking up at Eliot from an impossible angle.

It takes my foggy brain a moment to process: I've fallen asleep with my head in Eliot's lap. His fingers are still in my hair, moving with a tenderness that makes my breath catch. He's talking to Margo, unaware I'm awake, and there's something in his expression as he absently strokes my hair that I've never seen before—something soft and unguarded.

Panic surges through me as I realize everyone can probably see us like this. I must have been sleeping for hours. I sit up abruptly, nearly knocking heads with Eliot, heat flooding my cheeks as I become aware of every pair of eyes in the room turning toward us.

"Sorry!" I splutter, scrambling to get off the couch. "I didn't mean to—"

Eliot's hand brushes my arm as I try to escape, and the simple touch feels electric. "Q, it's fine," he says, but I'm already bolting for the nearest exit, humiliation burning in my chest.

I end up outside on the back patio, shivering without my jacket but too mortified to go back inside. The cold night air does nothing to cool my burning cheeks as I replay the moment I woke up in Eliot's lap. After several minutes of staring at my shoes, the sliding door opens behind me.

"Hiding from me?" Eliot asks, his voice closer than I expected. I turn to find him standing just inches away, looking concerned rather than annoyed. "You could've at least grabbed a jacket first."

Before I can respond, he slips his arm around my shoulders and pulls me close, his body heat seeping through my thin shirt. My heart pounds against my ribs as I try to form a coherent sentence, but all I can focus on is how perfectly I fit against him.

"I'm sorry about falling asleep on you," I manage finally, staring at a spot on his chest rather than meeting his eyes. "That was... embarrassing."

He doesn't respond immediately, just stands there holding me, his thumb brushing gently against my shoulder. When I finally summon the courage to look up, his gaze is intense, searching my face like he's looking for something specific.