Obsession and Young Love

CHAPTER 3

The next morning, Alex was back in his professional mode, seamlessly charming his way through interviews, photo ops, and press meetings. Ethan observed from behind the scenes, feeling an odd mixture of admiration and… something else he couldn’t quite put into words. It amazed him how effortlessly Alex could transition between his playful, almost childlike nature at home and this poised, charismatic persona in front of the media.

As the morning wore on, Ethan caught Alex sneaking glances at him between interviews. A knowing smirk here, a quick wink there—small gestures that would be invisible to anyone else, but not to Ethan. And he couldn’t help but feel a strange thrill, like they shared some unspoken secret.

After the press events, Ethan finally led Alex back to the car, their work for the day officially wrapped. Ethan climbed into the driver’s seat, glancing over to find Alex already settled in, his usual playful expression replaced by something softer as he leaned his head back against the seat.

“Long day?” Ethan asked, his tone gently teasing as he started the car.

“You have no idea,” Alex groaned, tilting his head to look at Ethan with a tired smile. “I feel like I’ve run a marathon. Who knew being charming all day was so exhausting?”

“Maybe if you toned down the charm, it’d be easier,” Ethan replied with a smirk.

“Not a chance,” Alex shot back, though his voice was softer, a hint of sleepiness creeping in. “It’s part of the package. Gotta give the people what they want.”

Ethan chuckled as he drove, glancing at Alex out of the corner of his eye. “Well, I hope you’re saving some energy, because tonight, I need to catch up on some paperwork at home.”

Alex groaned, his head lolling to the side as he shot Ethan a dramatic pout. “Paperwork? Ugh, sounds like torture.”

“Maybe it wouldn’t be if you didn’t always find ways to interrupt me,” Ethan replied dryly.

Alex grinned, not the least bit apologetic. “But where’s the fun in that?”

Ethan sighed, though a small smile tugged at the corners of his lips. There was something oddly comforting about these exchanges, the way Alex’s teasing had become a steady part of his routine. He never thought he’d enjoy having someone disrupt his carefully organized life—but with Alex, it felt… different.

Back at the apartment, Alex dropped his polished, public persona the instant they stepped through the door, collapsing onto the couch with an exaggerated sigh. He glanced up at Ethan with a cheeky smile as he patted the spot next to him.

“Come on, Ethan. You know you want to take a break,” Alex coaxed, his voice taking on a slightly whiny tone that made him sound years younger.

Ethan rolled his eyes, but a part of him couldn’t resist. He sat beside Alex, setting his laptop on the coffee table, fully prepared to get back to work—until Alex nudged him, leaning his head on Ethan’s shoulder in a way that felt both innocent and far too comfortable.

“Tired?” Ethan asked, his voice softer than intended as he looked down at Alex.

Alex hummed, closing his eyes as he nestled a little closer. “Mmm… Yeah. Just… glad to be here. With you.”

Ethan’s heart skipped a beat at the simple, sincere comment. He wanted to say something—anything—to respond, but the words didn’t come. Instead, he simply let Alex rest against him, their quiet companionship filling the space.

---

As the evening drifted on, Ethan excused himself to take a call from one of his coworkers. He stepped into the kitchen, trying to focus as they discussed some upcoming plans, but his attention drifted back to Alex, who had followed him, now shirtless and casually wandering around the apartment.

“Yeah, we’re all set for next week’s event…” Ethan tried to concentrate, but out of the corner of his eye, he saw Alex approach, a mischievous glint in his gaze. Alex leaned against the counter, smirking as he noticed Ethan’s slight discomfort.

“Everything okay, Ethan?” his coworker asked, oblivious.

“Oh, fine!” Ethan forced out, stepping to the side to try and keep Alex out of view, but Alex only leaned closer, his grin widening.

Ethan’s coworker continued to chatter, unaware of the silent chaos happening on the other end of the line as Ethan fought to keep his attention on the call while trying to ignore the way Alex’s shoulder brushed his arm, his bare skin warm and distracting.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, the call ended. Ethan hung up and turned to Alex, his face a mix of exasperation and amusement.

“Do you always have to make things so difficult?” he asked, unable to keep a smile from creeping onto his face.

Alex shrugged, his eyes sparkling with mischief. “You’re more fun to watch when you’re flustered.”

Later that night, Ethan was finishing some work in his room when he heard a soft knock. He opened the door to find Alex standing there, looking at him with a soft, slightly vulnerable expression.

“Hey,” Alex murmured, glancing around the room as if gathering his thoughts.

“Can’t sleep again?” Ethan asked, recognizing the look from the night before.

Alex nodded, rubbing the back of his neck. “Yeah… I, uh, just wanted to say goodnight.”

Ethan smiled, warmth flooding his chest. “Goodnight, Alex.”

For a moment, it seemed like Alex might leave, but instead, he took a step forward, wrapping his arms around Ethan in a warm, lingering hug. Ethan froze for a moment, caught off guard, but then relaxed, his own arms coming up to return the hug.

They stood there in silence, the air between them thick with an unspoken warmth. Alex pulled back slightly, just enough to look up at Ethan, his face inches away. His gaze dropped, almost lingering, before he finally let go, stepping back with a soft smile.

“Thanks… for today,” he murmured, his voice barely above a whisper.

Ethan nodded, his own voice a little rough. “Anytime.”

As Alex slipped away down the hall, Ethan closed his door, heart pounding as he realized just how much he enjoyed these quiet moments between them. And maybe—just maybe—he wanted more than just companionship.

The days that followed slipped into a pattern: during work, Alex was every bit the dedicated, professional celebrity, projecting charisma and confidence to the outside world. But back at the apartment, he reverted to his playful, sometimes exhausting self, always lingering around Ethan, casually invading his space with effortless intimacy.

One morning, after another round of interviews, Alex looked like he’d finally hit a wall. The second they stepped through the door, he flopped dramatically onto the couch, sighing heavily.

Ethan glanced over with a chuckle, setting his things down. “You’re getting good at looking like a tortured artist.”

Alex rolled his eyes, sitting up just enough to pull off his shoes and fling them aside. “You try smiling and saying the same things fifty different ways.”

“Hey, you’re the one who chose this life, Mr. Celebrity,” Ethan teased, leaning against the wall with his arms crossed.

Alex tilted his head, eyes gleaming as he looked at Ethan with a teasing smirk. “So, you’re saying you’d prefer me to be some ordinary guy, maybe a quiet accountant?”

Ethan’s lips quirked up. “Something like that. Accountants don’t usually whine when their manager tells them to take it easy.”

“Oh, I whine because I know you secretly like it,” Alex shot back, flashing a grin. But then he sighed, the exhaustion showing again. “Fine. I’ll try to listen to you. You did take me in, after all.”

Ethan’s smirk softened into a faint smile. “Just doing my job, remember?”

“Mm-hmm.” Alex’s gaze lingered on Ethan for a moment longer than necessary, an odd mixture of warmth and mischief in his expression.

Later that afternoon, Ethan was buried in his work, sorting through emails, scheduling upcoming appearances, and reviewing contracts. His attention was so focused that he barely registered the sound of footsteps padding across the living room floor—until a warm weight landed beside him on the couch.

He looked up, startled, to find Alex practically draped over him, peering curiously at his screen.

“Anything interesting?” Alex asked, a lazy smirk on his lips.

Ethan tried to ignore the way Alex’s arm casually brushed against his. “Just work. You know, the thing you claim to hate.”

“Doesn’t mean I don’t want to know what’s keeping you away from me,” Alex replied smoothly, his tone light but his gaze intense.

Ethan felt a slight heat creep up his neck, quickly refocusing on his laptop. “I’m not away from you. I’m right here.”

“But not paying attention to me,” Alex retorted, shifting slightly closer. His tone softened as he added, “You work too much.”

Ethan chuckled. “And you work too little.”

Alex sighed dramatically, leaning his head back and closing his eyes. “Okay, Dad.”

Ethan snorted, swatting him lightly. “Very funny.”

They sat in companionable silence for a few minutes, Alex leaning his head on Ethan’s shoulder, half-asleep. For a moment, Ethan allowed himself to relax, his focus drifting from the laptop as he felt Alex’s warmth next to him. It was strange, feeling so comfortable, so at ease, with someone who’d once seemed worlds apart.

But before he could get too lost in the moment, his phone buzzed with a video call from one of his colleagues. Ethan straightened, clearing his throat as he answered, adjusting the angle of the camera so only he was in view.

“Hey, Ethan,” his colleague’s voice came through, accompanied by a small wave on-screen. “I wanted to run something by you about next month’s schedule…”

Ethan nodded, forcing his attention to the conversation. But as his colleague started explaining details, Alex shifted beside him, inching closer to the laptop. Before Ethan could stop him, Alex leaned into the frame, shirtless, looking over Ethan’s shoulder with a playful smirk.

“Hey there,” Alex said, giving a little wave to Ethan’s colleague.

The person on the other end of the call paused, clearly taken aback, while Ethan’s face turned bright red. “Uh—Alex, could you—”

“What?” Alex feigned innocence, grinning as he threw an arm around Ethan’s shoulders. “Just saying hello. You know, being friendly.”

Ethan quickly angled the camera away, half-panicking as he struggled to keep his voice steady. “Sorry about that. My… roommate’s being a bit… overenthusiastic.”

His colleague coughed awkwardly. “Oh, no problem. Nice to… meet him.”

With a final glare at Alex, Ethan ended the call, groaning as he set his phone down. “You just can’t help yourself, can you?”

Alex shrugged, entirely unrepentant. “I figured your coworker should know how charming you have it at home.”

“Charming, right.” Ethan rolled his eyes, trying to ignore the way Alex’s lingering touch seemed to have left his skin buzzing. “I’m starting to feel like I’m babysitting a giant child.”

Alex just grinned, his gaze holding a flicker of something playful yet unreadable. “Maybe I just want a little more of your attention.”

Ethan didn’t know how to respond to that, so he just shook his head, trying to hide his smile as he turned back to his laptop. But the warmth stayed, lingering like an unspoken promise.

Later that evening, Ethan went to his room, intending to get a few more hours of work done. But as he opened his door, he found Alex standing outside, looking more sheepish than usual.

“Hungry?” Alex asked, holding up a takeout menu as if it were a peace offering. “I, uh… figured you might want a break.”

Ethan glanced at the menu, feeling a pang of surprise and something else he couldn’t quite place. “Didn’t think you were the takeout type.”

“Only for special occasions,” Alex replied, his grin widening.

They ended up sitting on the couch, sharing a pile of takeout boxes as they watched an old movie. Alex seemed unusually quiet, stealing glances at Ethan between bites. And though Ethan tried to focus on the film, he couldn’t shake the sense that something was shifting between them—an unspoken tension that neither of them seemed ready to address.

As the night wore on, Ethan finally felt his exhaustion catching up to him. He started gathering up the takeout containers, preparing to clean up before heading to bed, but Alex grabbed his wrist, stopping him.

“Leave it for now,” Alex murmured, his voice soft. “Just… sit with me for a bit longer.”

Ethan hesitated, caught off guard by the earnestness in Alex’s gaze. But he nodded, settling back on the couch. Alex leaned against him, his head resting on Ethan’s shoulder, and for a moment, everything else faded away—the pressures of work, the doubts, the awkward silences.

They stayed like that, wrapped in a quiet intimacy that felt almost too close, too real. And as Ethan finally closed his eyes, he couldn’t deny the pull he felt toward the young star beside him—the pull that was slowly, irresistibly, unraveling all his defenses.