Knop lay there for a second longer, his heart still redlining at full speed, his boxers clinging uncomfortably to his skin. The door clicked shut softly behind Tenner, and silence fell over the room again like a heavy, warm blanket. He stared at the ceiling, watching the fan spin and click like a mocking metronome. His body refused to calm down; every heartbeat sent a dull throb through his gut. He groaned, sat up abruptly, and ran a frustrated hand through his messy hair.
"Goddammit..."
He pulled on a pair of wrinkled basketball shorts he found on the floor, opened his bedroom door, and stepped into the narrow hallway. The smell of microwave popcorn hung in the air, mixed with the scent of sweat and wet dog. The living room was bathed in the cold blue glow of the TV, playing a basketball replay. Tenner was sprawled across the old, frayed fabric sofa, legs spread wide, with a massive bowl of popcorn resting on his stomach. Max, their eight-year-old black lab, was curled in a ball on the worn rug right next to him, snout tucked into his paws, snoring softly.
Tenner looked up without moving his head.
"Decided to join the living, or did you just come out for water to put out that fire in your pants?"
Knop let out a reluctant chuckle, flopping down onto the other end of the couch and grabbing a handful of popcorn.
"Shut it. You have no idea what you just interrupted."
Tenner cocked an eyebrow, chewing loudly.
"Oh, I've got a pretty good idea. You looked like a guy about to explode in his drawers. Was it her again? The MILF from 3B?"
Knop shook his head, but a crooked smile gave him away.
"Yeah. And this time it was... Christ. She was on her knees, man. She was looking at me like I was the only thing in the world that mattered, and then she told me to join her against the sink. I was seconds away from..."
He trailed off, grabbing another handful of popcorn.
Tenner whistled through his teeth.
"You're really screwed, Knop. You haven't had a normal night's sleep in what... three months?"
"Four."
"Damn. And you still haven't dared to actually talk to her?"
Knop shrugged, his gaze lost on the screen where a player was violently dunking.
"Talk to her and say what? 'Hey, I think about you all the time, you want to meet up in secret?' She'd slap me—or worse, call the cops."
Tenner smirked.
"Or she'd jump you right then and there. Have you seen the way she watches you sometimes when you walk past her window shirtless? She eats you up with her eyes, bro."
Knop groaned, rubbing his face.
"Yeah, well, I'm eating her up in my dreams every single night. And it's not enough. I can't focus on anything. I'm going to tank my exams tomorrow."
Max shifted a little, lifted his head to yawn—revealing yellowed teeth—then rested his snout back on Tenner's feet with a happy canine sigh.
Tenner absentmindedly patted the lab's head.
"You need to clear your head. Or just clear your system. Go hit the shower, take care of business, and then we'll study together. I swear, if you fail because of some forty-year-old cougar, I'm filming you crying and putting it on TikTok."
Knop burst out laughing, but the laugh felt hollow.
"Yeah, yeah. You're a real pal."
They sat in silence for a while, the game humming in the background, the crunch of popcorn between their teeth, and Max's soft snoring. Knop could still feel the ghost of Madame Teelh's hands on him, the heat of her gaze from the dream. He closed his eyes for a second, trying to hold onto the image.
Then, Tenner's phone buzzed on the coffee table. He picked it up, looked at the screen, and grinned like an idiot.
"Sorry, it's my girlfriend. I gotta take this."
Knop rolled his eyes.
"Go ahead, go be the 'lover boy.' Just leave me here to die."
Tenner stood up, popcorn bowl in hand.
"You're just jealous because I've got a real girl at my disposal, and you've just got your right hand and a walking fantasy."
"Go screw yourself, man."
Tenner laughed, answering the phone as he headed toward his room.
"Yeah, babe, I hear you... no, it's just Knop being a drama queen..."
The door shut. Silence.
Knop was left alone with Max, who gave him a bored look before putting his head back down. He sighed deeply, sliding down the couch until his head was resting against the back. His shorts were still tight. He could feel his pulse beating right there, insistent.
"Come on... just five minutes."
He closed his eyes, breathing slowly, trying to dive back into the dream like jumping into a pool. He visualized the dark staircase, the door left ajar, the steam curling out from the bathroom. Madame Teelh was already inside, her dress hiked up over her hips, one hand resting on the sink, her burning gaze turned toward him.
He felt his body relax, his breathing slow. The couch vanished. The popcorn vanished. Max vanished.
He was back.
The door slammed shut behind him. The bathroom was small, with cracked white tiles and a fogged-up mirror. Madame Teelh was there, her back to him, leaning slightly over the sink, her red dress pulled up to her waist. She arched her back a little when she heard him enter, just turning her head, her lips parted and her gaze feverish.
"Took your time, kid. I almost started without you."
Knop kicked the door shut with his heel and locked it. He stepped closer, his hands shaking with excitement. He pressed his body against hers, feeling the heat of her curves against him. His hot breath against her ear.
"I missed you..."
She laughed softly, a husky sound that vibrated against his chest.
"You kept me waiting. But I knew you'd come."
He slid his hands onto her hips, moving slowly up along her waist, feeling her body shiver under his fingers. She pressed against him, her head tilted back slightly to find his gaze in the foggy mirror.
"Touch me... show me you really want me."
He slid his hands higher, brushing the curve of her breasts through the thin fabric, feeling her heart beating fast under his palm. She sighed, a soft, trembling sound that made his head spin.
"Like that... yes..."
He kissed her neck, gently biting the sensitive skin, feeling her pulse accelerate under his lips. She squirmed slightly against him, her hands gripping the edge of the sink.
"I've been dreaming about you all day... about your mouth, your hands, the way you look at me like I'm the only woman in the world."
Knop pulled her dress up a bit more, his fingers tracing slow circles on her warm skin. She moaned softly, her body arching against him.
"Tell me what you want..."
"I want to feel you tremble... I want to hear you whisper my name... I want you to forget everything else."
She turned her head, searched for his mouth, and kissed him with an urgency that made him reel. Their lips mingled, tongues dancing slowly, then faster, as if time was running out. He held her tighter against him, feeling her body melt into his.
"You're making me crazy..."
"You're the one who's been making me crazy for months. Every time I see you, I want to drop everything for you."
She laughed against his mouth, a breathless sound.
"Then do it... show me."
He slid his hands lower, brushing the inside of her thighs, feeling her breathing quicken. She arched further, her nails digging into his forearms.
"Yes... right there... don't stop..."
He continued, slow and precise movements, attentive to every sigh, every shiver. She was trembling against him, her legs going weak. He supported her with one arm around her waist, the other hand exploring with a possessive tenderness.
"You're so beautiful when you let yourself go..."
"Keep going... I'm yours..."
Their breaths mingled, fast and disorganized. She suddenly tensed, a long, muffled moan against his shoulder, her body shaken by soft spasms. He held her tight, kissed her neck, and let her slowly come back down.
"Your turn... let yourself go..."
He felt the wave rising inside him, uncontrollable, irresistible. A violent shiver ran through him, and he lost himself in the sensation, in the heat of her body against his, in the echo of his name whispered against her skin.
And then—
The world shook.
Knop's eyes snapped open.
He was on the couch. The living room. The TV was still on. Max was snoring. Tenner hadn't come back.
But his shorts were soaked. A dark, warm, sticky stain was spreading across the gray fabric. He had come for real in his sleep, carried away by the intensity of the emotion, by the pure and raw desire that had overwhelmed him.
He lay perfectly still, his breath ragged, shame and pleasure mixing in a bitter cocktail.
"Dammit..."
He closed his eyes for a second, still feeling the echo of his pleasure, the ghost of her presence against him.
Tomorrow, the exams.
Tonight, just a nineteen-year-old guy who had let himself be swept away by a dream so vivid he had lost control.
And yet, he already knew he'd be doing it all over again tonight.