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890 Words
He looked at their joined hands.
Then back at Kael.
“I don’t feel safe without you.”
That was it.
That was all it took.
Something deep in Kael broke again,
But this time, not in pain.
In something softer.
Stronger.
More dangerous.
“I won’t let anything happen to you,” Kael said quietly.
A promise.
Not just words.
A vow.
And this time,
Eli believed him.
Even if he didn’t remember why.
The air felt different around them now.
Not tense.
Not dangerous.
But charged.
Like something unseen was constantly moving between them.
Eli noticed it in everything.
The way his chest warmed whenever Kael got too close.
The way his body reacted before his mind could catch up.
The way his name sounded different coming from Kael’s voice.
Nothing felt normal anymore.
And somehow…
That didn’t scare him as much as it should.
—
“Again.”
Kael’s voice was calm but firm.
They stood in an abandoned space just outside the city—quiet, empty, safe enough.
Or at least, as safe as it could be.
Eli exhaled slowly, focusing.
“Okay… okay,” he muttered, lifting his hand slightly.
“Don’t think too much,” Kael instructed, watching him closely. “Feel it.”
Eli frowned.
“That’s easy for you to say.”
Kael didn’t respond.
He simply stepped closer.
Right behind him.
Too close.
Eli’s breath hitched slightly as he felt Kael’s presence at his back.
“Close your eyes,” Kael said softly.
Eli hesitated…
Then obeyed.
The moment he did—
He felt it.
That familiar warmth.
“Now,” Kael continued, his voice lower now, almost right by his ear, “focus on the bond.”
Eli swallowed.
It wasn’t just the bond he was feeling.
It was him.
Kael.
Every part of him was suddenly too aware.
“This is distracting,” Eli mumbled.
Kael let out the faintest breath—almost a laugh.
“Good,” he said.
Eli frowned slightly. “How is that good?”
“Because it means you’re not forcing it,” Kael replied. “The bond responds better when you’re not trying to control it.”
Eli shook his head.
“This feels like cheating.”
“Maybe,” Kael said quietly. “But it works.”
There was a pause.
Then—
Kael’s hand slowly covered Eli’s.
Warm.
Steady.
Guiding.
“Feel it,” he repeated softly.
And this time—
Eli did.
The warmth spread stronger.
From his chest—
To his arm—
To his hand—
Until a faint glow flickered at his fingertips.
Eli gasped softly.
“It’s working…”
Kael didn’t let go.
“Don’t lose focus.”
The glow grew slightly brighter.
Unstable.
But real.
Eli’s heart raced.
“I’m doing it,” he whispered.
And then—
It slipped.
The light flickered violently before disappearing completely.
Eli groaned, dropping his hand.
“Ugh, I lost it.”
“You held it longer this time,” Kael said calmly.
Eli turned to him.
“That’s your version of encouragement?”
Kael’s expression didn’t change.
But his eyes softened just slightly.
“You’re improving.”
That—
For some reason—
Meant more than anything else.
Eli looked away quickly.
“…Thanks.”
Silence fell between them again.
But it wasn’t awkward.
Not like before.
Just…
Heavy.
Full of things neither of them were saying.
Then—
“Why do you stay this close?”
Eli didn’t mean to ask it out loud.
But the moment the words left his mouth—
It was too late.
Kael didn’t step back.
Didn’t move away.
Instead,
He stepped closer.
Even closer than before.
Close enough that Eli had to tilt his head slightly to meet his eyes.
“Because you’re stronger when I am,” Kael said simply.
Eli’s heart skipped.
“That’s not what I meant.”
“I know.”
That made it worse.
Eli swallowed.
“Then why?”
Kael looked at him for a long moment.
Like he was deciding how honest to be.
“…Because I want to,” he said finally.
The air shifted again.
Eli’s breath caught.
That answer
It wasn’t complicated.
It wasn’t dramatic.
But it felt…
Real.
Too real.
“Kael...”
A sudden sharp pulse shot through his chest.
Both of them froze.
The bond,
It reacted.
Fast.
Warning.
Kael’s expression changed instantly.
“What is it?” Eli asked, his voice tense.
Kael’s gaze darkened.
“…He’s close.”
Eli didn’t need to ask who.
Riven.
The warmth in his chest turned sharp again.
Uncomfortable.
Wrong.
“Already?” Eli whispered.
Kael stepped in front of him without thinking.
Instinct.
Protection.
“Stay behind me.”
Eli frowned slightly.
“I’m not helpless, you know.”
Kael didn’t even look back.
“I know.”
“Then stop treating me like I am.”
That made Kael pause.
Just for a second.
Then,
He turned.
And for the first time,
There was something else in his expression.
Conflict.
“You’re not helpless,” Kael said quietly. “You’re the opposite.”
Eli blinked.
“Then...”
“But you’re still mine to protect.”
That...
That wasn’t soft.
That wasn’t gentle.
That was something deeper.
Something raw.
Something that made Eli’s chest tighten again.
Not in fear.
- Writer
