Chapter One: Four hearts, One door

It was a calm, moon-kissed night in the Hillight High dormitory zone, and somewhere in the air floated the faint smell of vanilla and fresh laundry—Elvis Sonata’s signature scent. The boys on campus often whispered about him, the younger student with snowy hair and turquoise eyes, but none of them dared dream of him the way four particular upperclassmen did.

And tonight, those four stood in front of the same dorm room door. At the same time.

There was a click of a boot, the grumble of an engine fading in the distance, and then a tense silence as four tall, muscular shadows stared each other down under the flickering hallway light.

Lucas Bondo, flawless as always, stood with a neatly folded blanket in one arm and a bag of Elvis’s favorite pastries in the other. His silver hair gleamed under the light. He smiled politely—but only on the surface.

Thompson Norman, dressed in a leather jacket, looked like he’d just stepped off a movie set. His motorcycle helmet hung from his fingers, his sharp gaze narrowed as he scanned the other three. "Tch. What the hell are you three doing here?"

Jake Silvester was holding a giant pink bunny plushie. He blinked, then offered a sheepish grin. “Uhh!?… surprise sleepover night?”

August Raifelic didn’t say anything. He adjusted his glasses with a slow, calculated push and stared directly at the door. His presence was quiet—unsettlingly quiet—but the slight tremble in his hand gave him away.

And then—

The door opened.

A very small, very sleepy Elvis peeked out, rubbing one turquoise eye with the sleeve of his sweater. His fluffy white hair was a pillow-soft mess, and his voice came out in a drowsy whisper.

"Um...Lucas…?"

Lucas immediately stepped forward, his voice warm and low. “You forgot your nightly tea, little dove…”

“W-Wait a damn minute!” Thompson snapped, pushing forward. “He was waiting for me. Angel cake and I already made plans. Right, baby?”

Elvis blinked. “A-Angel… what—?”

Before he could recover, Jake barged in with a big dopey smile, nearly tripping over his own feet. “Snugglebug~! I brought you the plushie you said looked like your dream pet! Do you like it? Do you wanna name it? I thought we could cuddle it together—”

“I’m going to kill you,” Thompson growled.

“You’re going to trip over your own ego,” August muttered. Then, calmly, he held up a small hand-written note. “He told me to wake him up for stargazing tonight. Me. Elvis and I have a date.”

Elvis froze.

His face turned red. Very, very red.

“I… I did say that…” he whispered, clutching the door frame.

And then—

Chaos.

“What makes you think you’re spending the night!?”

“He obviously meant me—he calls me big bear!!”

“You think a little stuffed thing beats a motorbike ride?!”

“Guys—Guys!! Please don’t yell—!!”

“You woke up the entire floor, you lunatics—”

“Elvis needs rest, not your nonsense—”

“Why don't we let him decide!?”

“I CAN'T DECIDE IF YOU'RE ALL YELLING AT THE SAME TIME—!!”

A pillow flew. Jake tripped over Thompson’s helmet. August threatened to bite someone. Lucas calmly drank the tea he brought while glaring at everyone.

And in the middle of it all, Elvis, flustered beyond reason, stood with both hands raised in front of his chest, tears of panic pooling in his big eyes.

“C-CAN’T WE JUST… SHARE???”

Silence.

Four towering boyfriends froze like little deer in headlights.

Jake whimpered. Thompson turned away and punched the wall. Lucas’s eye twitched. August cracked his knuckles.

“…This isn’t over,” Thompson muttered.

“Not even close,” August said flatly.

Lucas gently picked Elvis up—because of course he did—and carried him inside. “Let’s talk inside, little dove. Before the hallway catches fire.”

Jake followed like a lost puppy. Thompson stomped in like an outlaw. August entered last, already planning how to sabotage the next night’s sleepover.

And Elvis, snuggled in Lucas’s arms, sighed helplessly.

“…I should’ve just locked the door.”

-End of Chapter One-

CHAPTER TWO: One Bed, Four Boyfriends, and a Whole Lotta Trouble

Elvis Sonata’s dorm room was small.

Not just “cozy” small, or “just-for-one-person” small. It was mouse hole small.

A tiny bed by the window. A desk covered in pastel stationery. A single dresser.

And right now?

Four enormous, muscular, dangerously-in-love upperclassmen.

And one trembling, flushed boy who looked ready to evaporate from embarrassment.

“So…” Jake said, scratching the back of his head, eyes darting between the bed and the floor. “Who’s, um… y’know… sleeping with snugglebug—uh, I mean, Elvis?”

Thompson snorted. “Sleeping? I’m not letting him out of my arms tonight. Period.” He cracked his knuckles, then pointed at the rest. “You three can rot in the hallway.”

“Excuse me?” Lucas arched a brow and slowly rolled up his sleeves. “You think that ridiculous leather jacket makes you a priority?”

August crossed his arms, adjusting his glasses with that terrifyingly calm stare. “We’re not animals. We’ll rotate, like civilized—”

“I WANT THE FIRST TURN!!” Jake shouted, arms flailing. “I brought the plushie!”

“Which he’s using as a pillow, not a boyfriend,” Thompson growled.

“I have tea service set up on his desk,” Lucas said, smug. “Complete with chamomile, lavender, and homemade lemon cookies—baked by my personal chef.”

“...”

All eyes turned to August, who silently held up a hand-drawn diagram of body positions that allowed four people to sleep on a single bed.

“…It’s labeled,” he added flatly. “With color-coded weight distribution.”

Elvis made a noise somewhere between a squeak and a sob.

“C-Can’t you just… all take turns?? I-I can lie in the middle—”

“NO,” all four said at once.

The room trembled.

---

Ten Minutes Later

After intense negotiation (which included one pillow fight, Thompson nearly knocking over Elvis’s fish tank, and Jake dramatically crying into a towel), the “bed sharing” compromise was reached.

Lucas got to hold Elvis from behind, acting like a warm, muscular backrest.

Jake snuggled up front, his head on Elvis’s chest like a golden retriever.

Thompson got Elvis’s legs and clung to them like his life depended on it.

August… reluctantly perched on the edge of the bed with one hand brushing Elvis’s hair. (“This is temporary,” he muttered.)

Elvis?

Couldn’t move. At all.

“W-What if I need to pee…?” he whimpered.

“We’ll carry you,” Jake mumbled sleepily.

“No way you’re carrying him alone,” Thompson growled.

“I’ll go with you,” Lucas said.

“I’ll hold the door,” August offered.

“I—THAT’S NOT THE POINT!!” Elvis cried, kicking weakly under the pile of limbs.

---

Two Hours Later

The room was quiet. Moonlight fell across the tangle of bodies on the bed.

Lucas’s arms wrapped tightly around Elvis, his breath slow and steady against his neck.

Jake drooled a little on Elvis’s sweater, mumbling, “Snnnugglebuuuug…”

Thompson muttered something obscene in his sleep before kissing Elvis’s shin.

August… wasn’t asleep at all. He was watching Elvis quietly, fingers tracing patterns in his white hair.

And Elvis?

Heart pounding, cheeks pink, eyes wide open.

“…I’m gonna die like this,” he whispered to the ceiling.

But when Jake snored and nuzzled closer, and Lucas gently kissed his cheek, and August whispered, “Elvy…” in his ear—Elvis smiled.

Just a little.

---

The morning sun peeked through the window, golden and warm. Elvis, still in his soft pajamas, rubbed his eyes and stretched in the middle of a love pile. “Mmm… I-I was thinking… maybe we could… go on a date today…? J-Just one-on-one…”

Dead silence.

Four pairs of eyes snapped open.

“…He means with me,” Lucas said smoothly, brushing Elvis’s bangs aside and kissing his forehead. “I already have a reservation booked. We’ll be having brunch in the greenhouse cafe downtown—”

“THE HELL YOU ARE!” Thompson roared, already half-sitting up, hair wild. “This is my bike’s day off. I was gonna take my sweet little angel for a ride—just us, the wind, and my arms around his waist.”

“I have snacks packed!” Jake chirped from the floor, waving a bulging lunch bag. “And a blanket! And a list of cute things to say in case I forget how to flirt again!”

August stood slowly, calmly pulling out a sheet of paper from his backpack. “Here is a ranked itinerary of dates, alphabetically sorted by intimacy level. Number 4B is the museum and book cafe tour. Educational, meaningful, romantic.”

Elvis’s lips trembled.

“…Y-You guys…”

“WE’RE DECIDING IT RIGHT NOW,” Lucas declared.

Jake’s eyes widened. “Are we arm wrestling??”

Thompson smirked. “Pillow fight. Winner takes the boy.”

“Let’s make it fair,” August adjusted his glasses. “Three rounds. One physical, one mental, one psychological warfare.”

“HUH!?” Jake blinked. “Wait. What’s the last one?”

---

ROUND ONE: PILLOW FIGHT

Location: Elvis’s Dorm Room. Arena: Bed.

“GO!!” Elvis squeaked from the corner, clutching a blanket.

Lucas swung first, graceful and deadly, like a knight with a silken sword. Jake ducked, tripped over Thompson, and flailed his pillow straight into August’s face.

“Unacceptable,” August muttered, then launched a perfect spiral into Jake’s chest.

Thompson—laughing maniacally—grabbed two pillows, dual-wielding them like war hammers. “I’LL BURY YOU ALL!!”

“AHH!!” Jake screeched, crawling across the bed. “Truce! TRUUUUCE!”

Lucas tackled Thompson. August calmly took the opportunity to scoop Elvis into a corner behind a pile of laundry.

“…Are you okay?” he whispered, caressing Elvis’s cheek.

“I-I think my soul just left my body,” Elvis replied, blinking.

---

ROUND TWO: MIND GAMES

Location: The Desk.

Each contestant had to answer a trivia question about Elvis.

Lucas stood confidently. “His favorite tea is vanilla lavender. His least favorite color is orange. He was born at exactly 4:07 a.m. and sneezes like a kitten.”

Thompson rolled his eyes. “His second toe is longer than his big toe. He hiccups when he’s nervous. And he said ‘I love you’ to my elbow once while half-asleep.”

Jake raised his hand. “He has a mole shaped like a bean on his left hip! I saw it when he wore those little pajama shorts!”

“…That’s cheating,” Elvis whispered.

August simply held up a notebook titled Everything About Elvis: Year One to Present.

“Disqualified,” Thompson snarled.

---

ROUND THREE: PSYCHOLOGICAL WARFARE

Location: Nowhere. It was already happening.

Lucas stared down August.

Thompson towered over Jake.

Jake—trembling—clutched his lunchbox like a shield.

August only looked at Elvis. “If you were the moon,” he said softly, “I’d go blind staring at you every night.”

Lucas scoffed. “You’re not even trying.”

Thompson grabbed Elvis’s hand, kissed his knuckles, and whispered, “You’re my peace, my thrill, my stupid cute obsession. Pick me.”

Jake, eyes wide, stammered, “I… I love your eyelashes. And the way you make me feel. Like I'm not dumb. Just… yours.”

Silence.

Elvis’s face turned bright red.

“I— I CAN’T DECIDE!!” he screamed, leaping onto the bed and burying himself under the covers.

---

Final Result: Tie. Four sulking boyfriends. One flustered Elvis. Zero dates.

“Group date?” Jake offered meekly, holding out his lunchbox.

“…Fine,” Lucas sighed. “But I’m holding his hand.”

“You touch his lips, I’m breaking yours,” Thompson said.

August simply smiled and took Elvis’s other hand. “Shall we?”

Elvis poked his head out from under the covers.

“…Can I at least change clothes first…?”

---

End of Chapter Two

CHAPTER THREE: Operation: Steal a Kiss

Location: Sunny Park. Mission: Impossible.

If love had a soundtrack, today’s would be the awkward crinkle of picnic blankets, the suspicious hiss of water bottles being unscrewed, and the erratic pounding of four very competitive hearts.

Jake was the first to break the silence.

“I brought string cheese!” he beamed, laying out snacks with a little too much force. “And grapes! Elvis likes grapes! Right, baby bean?”

Elvis, kneeling on the grass and trying to spread a blanket, blushed immediately. “Y-Yeah… I do.”

Lucas appeared beside him, helping smooth out the corners. “You forgot the cutlery, Jake,” he said smoothly, placing down real silverware. “Don’t worry, sunshine. I brought everything.”

“Elvis can eat with his fingers if he wants,” Thompson muttered, dropping a massive bottle of fizzy juice in the center of the setup. “He’s perfect no matter how messy he gets.”

“That sounds… oddly specific,” August commented, setting down a covered tray of color-coded sandwiches. “I’ve prepared bite-sized options. No crumbs. I remember how he dislikes greasy fingers.”

Elvis, frozen in place, stared at the growing buffet.

“…You guys really didn’t need to do all this.”

Jake flopped onto the grass next to him, puppy-like. “We wanna! It’s your date day!”

Elvis blinked. “But it’s our date…”

Jake paled. “Oh no. It’s a shared date.”

All four boys subtly glanced at each other.

Target: Elvis.

Objective: Steal a kiss.

Obstacle: Three other love-crazed idiots.

---

PHASE ONE: THE DISTRACTION TACTIC

Lucas made the first move.

While Elvis reached for a strawberry, Lucas leaned in, just a little, voice soft. “You have jam on your cheek.”

“I do—?” Elvis blinked.

“Here,” Lucas said, gently brushing the spot… and then brushed again, slower, thumb grazing his soft skin.

Elvis’s breath hitched.

This is it, Lucas thought, tilting forward slightly, his lips a whisper away—

“Oi!” Thompson barked. “Back off, Silverhair. He wants juice.”

Lucas froze. Thompson plopped a glass into Elvis’s hands, winked, and smirked at Lucas.

Elvis sipped it nervously. “I-It’s fizzy…”

“Just like you, baby.”

Lucas scowled. Round one: blocked.

---

PHASE TWO: THE SURPRISE ATTACK

Thompson’s plan? Go bold. Go quick.

He waited until everyone was distracted by August trying to open a stubborn lunch box, then slid next to Elvis on the grass, all relaxed confidence and simmering heat.

“You know,” he said, low and rough, “your lips are lookin’ extra soft today.”

Elvis turned red immediately. “W-Why would you say that—!?”

Thompson grinned. “So I could do this—”

SWOOP

Just as his face inched forward, a frisbee smacked the back of his head.

“OOF—!” he shouted.

“Whoops!” Jake waved innocently from across the field. “Bad aim!”

Lucas picked up the frisbee calmly. “Don’t throw things at Elvis. What if you missed?”

Thompson hissed, rubbing his head. Elvis trembled beside him, still pink.

Round two: intercepted.

---

PHASE THREE: THE “ACCIDENTAL” GAME

August waited until after lunch.

He proposed a walk around the flower garden nearby. “Fresh air. Movement. And maybe…” he adjusted his glasses, “...a little game.”

“What kind of game?” Jake asked suspiciously.

“Tag.”

Lucas narrowed his eyes. “We’re in public.”

“Exactly,” August said, smiling. “Only Elvis can tag with touches. No chasing. Whoever he touches the most by the end wins.”

Elvis tilted his head. “That’s cute…”

Thompson cracked his knuckles. “You’re on.”

What followed was a slow, awkward game of tag where every single boyfriend hovered near Elvis. When he picked a flower, Jake was at his side, grinning. When he sat on a bench, Lucas claimed the spot beside him. When he tied his shoe, Thompson bent to help. August timed each move perfectly to “bump into” Elvis with quiet, elegant grace.

And then—it happened.

Elvis, reaching to point out a butterfly to Jake, accidentally brushed his lips against Jake’s cheek.

Jake turned scarlet.

“Ohmygosh—didyoumeanthat???” he gasped.

Elvis gasped too. “I-I—no! I mean—yes!? I mean I didn’t mean to—!”

Jake dropped to his knees. “That was my first cheek kiss from you!! I’m gonna die happy!!”

Lucas stormed over. “You’re not dying. Get up.”

Thompson shoved Lucas. “That’s cheating!!”

August calmly handed Elvis a tissue. “You have pollen on your nose.”

Elvis shrieked and hid behind a bush.

---

RESULT: Four chaotic kiss attempts. Only Jake succeeded (accidentally). Emotional damage: widespread. Kisses: 0.5

The sun began to set as the group trudged back to Elvis’s dorm.

“Well, that was exhausting,” Thompson groaned.

“I almost had it,” Lucas muttered, rubbing his temples.

Jake held a flower Elvis had picked for him like it was a treasure.

August, still calm, walked silently beside Elvis.

And Elvis?

He held all their hands at once, somehow managing to squeeze in the middle, beaming.

“You guys are… so weird. But I had fun.”

The boys looked at each other.

And for one moment… just one… they all smiled at the same time.