Obsession and Young Love

CHAPTER 2

Alex adjusted quickly to living with Ethan, settling in as if he’d been there forever. Ethan was beginning to suspect the celebrity might even be too comfortable—sprawling across the couch in mismatched socks, raiding the fridge without hesitation, and peppering Ethan with questions at every turn.

At first, Ethan had tried to keep his boundaries clear, reminding himself that he was Alex’s manager, not his roommate. But Alex seemed determined to blur those lines. Every morning, he’d wander into the kitchen, casually looking for Ethan, his usual grin plastered on his face as he offered some random observation or bit of gossip, as if they were longtime roommates. Sometimes he even managed to sneak in questions about Ethan’s personal life, questions that Ethan tried, with varying levels of success, to dodge.

One morning, Ethan was on a video call with a coworker to discuss a new project. His coworker, Kelly, was halfway through explaining a complex schedule when Ethan noticed Alex lingering in the background, watching him intently.

Ethan raised his eyebrows, giving Alex a subtle “stay quiet” look. But, of course, Alex being Alex, he ignored it. He stepped further into the room, wearing nothing but a pair of sweatpants, his chest bare and his hair slightly tousled. Ethan’s heart lurched as Alex approached, a mischievous glint in his eyes.

Kelly noticed the movement behind Ethan and laughed. “Ethan, looks like you’ve got company there!”

“Oh, uh—” Ethan stammered, fumbling to adjust the screen. “Yeah, just, uh… my new client, Alex.”

Alex leaned into view, flashing a wide grin and giving Kelly a little wave. “Hi there! Ethan was just telling me about how much he loves working with all of you.”

Ethan’s face turned red as he hurriedly tried to cover the camera with his hand. “Alex, please,” he muttered, glancing back at Kelly with an apologetic smile. “He’s, uh… a bit of a handful.”

“Who’s she?” Alex asked, leaning over Ethan’s shoulder in an exaggerated way, as though he were inspecting the screen.

Ethan scrambled to adjust his chair, trying to keep Alex out of view. “She’s a colleague, Alex. Now, seriously, put a shirt on.”

Alex feigned a pout, crossing his arms over his bare chest. “Oh, come on, Ethan. Don’t be so uptight. Besides, I’m sure she’s not offended.”

Kelly chuckled, clearly enjoying the scene. “No offense taken. But, Ethan, I’ll let you go so you can… manage your client,” she teased, flashing him a knowing smile before ending the call.

The screen went black, and Ethan exhaled, turning around to face Alex, who was grinning at him unabashedly.

“Alex,” he started, trying to sound stern, “you can’t just… pop in like that. I’m working.”

Alex shrugged, unbothered. “You work too much anyway. Besides, you looked like you were having way too much fun laughing with her.”

Ethan rolled his eyes, crossing his arms. “She’s just a colleague, Alex. And I don’t see how that’s any of your business.”

Alex just smirked, his eyes sparkling with a hint of jealousy that Ethan couldn’t quite decipher. “Maybe I just like making sure I’m still the center of attention.”

Ethan shook his head, trying to hide his amusement. “You’re something else, you know that?”

Later that evening, Ethan retreated to his room, telling himself he needed some time to recharge. Living with Alex was proving more exhausting than he’d imagined. Alex’s antics, his boundless energy, his casual attitude—it was a lot to handle. And the way Alex seemed to effortlessly close the distance between them, both physically and emotionally, left Ethan feeling like he was constantly on guard.

After a few hours of solitude, Ethan finally opened his door, intending to grab a quick bite. As he stepped into the hallway, he nearly ran into Alex, who was leaning against the wall with a playful grin on his face.

“Well, well,” Alex said, crossing his arms. “Decided to grace me with your presence?”

Ethan raised an eyebrow, trying not to show his surprise. “I was just… busy.”

Alex snickered, rolling his eyes. “Sure you were. You know, it’s really rude to hide away when your guest is starving.”

Ethan looked at him, half-annoyed, half-amused. “You’re not helpless, Alex. There’s food in the kitchen.”

Alex shrugged, pushing off the wall and following him toward the kitchen. “I tried, but I figured I’d wait for you. Eating alone is boring.”

Ethan let out a sigh, shaking his head. “Sometimes, I swear it feels like I’m babysitting you.”

“Come on, Ethan,” Alex replied, grabbing a slice of pizza from the fridge and taking a huge bite. “Admit it. You’d miss me if I left.”

Ethan scoffed, but he didn’t have an answer for that. He grabbed his own plate and settled at the table, trying to keep his gaze on his food. But Alex, ever determined, sat across from him, watching him with that signature smirk.

And, despite himself, Ethan felt a strange warmth settling in his chest. Maybe, just maybe, having Alex around wasn’t so bad after all.

The days blended into a strange routine. Despite Ethan’s efforts to keep things professional, Alex continued treating the apartment as his own personal playground, and Ethan as… well, it was hard to say. Sometimes it felt like Alex saw him as a caretaker; other times, like he was the best friend Alex never had. But then there were the moments when Alex’s gaze lingered a beat too long, or his teasing went a touch deeper than lighthearted banter. It was confusing, and it left Ethan constantly second-guessing himself.

One evening, Ethan returned from a late meeting, exhausted and grateful to see the apartment quiet. He put down his keys, ready to finally unwind. But as he walked toward the kitchen, he stopped short, noticing Alex lying on the couch, a snack bag in hand, his eyes glued to the TV.

Alex glanced up, noticing him. “You’re home late. Out with Kelly again?” he teased, the hint of a smirk on his lips.

Ethan gave him an exasperated look, rolling his eyes. “It was just work, Alex.”

“Oh, sure. Work. And I’m supposed to believe you weren’t flirting just a little?” Alex waggled his eyebrows playfully, clearly enjoying pushing Ethan’s buttons.

Ethan shook his head, a tired smile creeping onto his face. “You know, not every interaction involves flirting. Some of us are capable of professionalism.”

“Professionalism, huh?” Alex leaned back, folding his arms behind his head. “You’re saying that as if I don’t have any.”

Ethan laughed, dropping onto the armchair. “You? Professional? Only if being impossible counts.”

Alex tossed a pillow in his direction, which Ethan dodged with ease. “See? Now who’s being difficult?” Alex shot back, feigning offense.

Ethan chuckled, rubbing his eyes. “I don’t know how you manage to have this much energy all the time.”

“Maybe you just need to lighten up,” Alex said with a grin. He tilted his head thoughtfully. “When’s the last time you even took a day off?”

Ethan blinked, genuinely stumped by the question. “I… I don’t know. A while, I guess.”

“Well, maybe you should,” Alex said, half-joking, half-serious. “You might even learn how to have fun.”

“Oh, really?” Ethan said, crossing his arms. “And you’re going to teach me, I suppose?”

“Yep,” Alex said with a mischievous grin. He looked at Ethan thoughtfully for a moment, as if debating something. “Actually… I think we could start now.”

Before Ethan could protest, Alex jumped up, grabbing his jacket and tossing it at him. “Come on, we’re going out.”

“Alex, it’s nearly midnight!” Ethan said, incredulous.

“Exactly. That’s when all the best adventures happen.” Alex pulled Ethan up from the chair, barely giving him a chance to resist. “Now, you can either keep pretending to be my babysitter, or you can actually enjoy yourself for once.”

Ethan wanted to argue, but something about Alex’s infectious enthusiasm broke down his usual walls. He grabbed his jacket, shaking his head but feeling a strange sense of excitement.

A few hours later, they found themselves at a late-night diner, sitting across from each other in a booth, laughing over milkshakes and burgers. It had been years since Ethan had done anything so spontaneous, and he felt lighter than he had in a long time.

Alex grinned, taking a big sip of his milkshake. “See? Told you this was more fun than sitting at home.”

Ethan smiled, shaking his head. “Alright, you win. But don’t get used to it.”

Alex shrugged, that playful glint back in his eyes. “Oh, I think I’ll get you out again. You’re way more fun than you think.”

Ethan rolled his eyes but didn’t argue. Sitting there with Alex, laughing and sharing stories, he felt something shift between them. It was subtle, but it was there—an understanding, a familiarity that he hadn’t expected.

As they finally walked back to the apartment in the early hours, Alex nudged him with his elbow. “Admit it, Ethan. You had fun.”

“Alright,” Ethan sighed, unable to hide a smile. “I had fun.”

Alex grinned, his expression victorious. “See? Hanging out with me isn’t so bad.”

Ethan chuckled as they approached the apartment building. “I’ll give you that one. But don’t get any ideas about making this a regular thing.”

Alex looked up, feigning innocence. “Oh, no. I wouldn’t dream of it.” He paused, then smirked. “Except… maybe next Friday?”

Ethan rolled his eyes, fighting back a laugh. “We’ll see. But right now, I need sleep. Some of us actually have a schedule.”

Alex shrugged, still looking way too awake and energetic despite the late hour. “Fine, but just remember, I’m always up for another midnight adventure.”

They made their way back inside, Ethan trying to quiet his thoughts as they moved down the hallway to their respective rooms. Just as Ethan turned to head into his room, Alex’s voice stopped him.

“Hey, Ethan?”

He turned, noting the uncharacteristic softness in Alex’s expression. “Yeah?”

Alex hesitated, then flashed a genuine, small smile. “Thanks. Tonight was… good.”

Ethan’s heart did an odd flip at the sincerity in Alex’s voice, and he cleared his throat, nodding. “Yeah. It was.”

For a moment, they just looked at each other in the quiet hallway, as though neither wanted the night to end. But then Ethan blinked, forcing himself to break the gaze.

“Well… goodnight,” he said softly, retreating into his room before he could second-guess himself.

The days after their midnight adventure slipped into a routine. Alex seemed even more at ease around the apartment, like he belonged there, and his playful antics continued to keep Ethan on his toes. It wasn’t unusual now for Ethan to come home to Alex lying across the couch, or hear Alex’s voice as he came out of his room, claiming he had found something “fun” for them to do that evening.

One evening, as Ethan was working on his laptop, a notification popped up for an incoming video call. He accepted, surprised to see it was Kelly again, her expression eager as she jumped right into project updates. Just as she was mid-sentence, Alex appeared out of nowhere in the background.

This time, he was completely shirtless, casually wandering into the frame with a mischievous grin as he spotted Ethan on the call.

“Ethan!” Kelly exclaimed, pointing at the screen with wide eyes. “Your client is… uh…”

Ethan whipped his head around to Alex, whispering harshly, “Alex! Put on a shirt!”

Alex gave him an innocent shrug. “What? I’m comfortable.” He leaned in, intentionally staying in view. “Oh, hey, Kelly. I didn’t realize we had company.”

Ethan shot him a warning look, mouthing, “Get. Out.”

Alex just chuckled, clearly enjoying himself, and gave Kelly a friendly wave. “Don’t mind me. Just keeping Ethan on his toes,” he teased, making sure to stay just within the frame as he “accidentally” leaned over the back of Ethan’s chair.

“Ethan!” Kelly tried to hide her amusement. “Seems like you have quite the handful there.”

Ethan sighed, a flush creeping up his neck as he steered his laptop away from Alex’s antics. “He’s… persistent, that’s for sure. Sorry about that.”

Kelly laughed, shaking her head. “No worries. Though, you seem to be handling it well. Good luck with him!” she said, winking before ending the call.

As the screen went black, Ethan finally turned to Alex, exasperated. “You can’t just do that, Alex!”

Alex shrugged, looking completely unrepentant. “Just keeping things interesting. Besides, don’t you think she looked a little… flustered?”

Ethan groaned, rubbing his temples. “You’re impossible, you know that?”

Alex laughed, his grin widening. “Maybe. But admit it, you’d be bored without me.”

Ethan shook his head, trying to hide the smile tugging at his lips. “Sometimes I feel like I’m babysitting a kid.”

Alex just chuckled, unfazed, and plopped down onto the couch, stretching out as if he owned the place.

Later that night, as Ethan was winding down, he heard a soft knock on his door. He opened it to find Alex standing there, his face a mix of playful and serious.

“What now?” Ethan asked, trying to sound annoyed but failing.

Alex leaned against the doorframe, giving him a cheeky smile. “Just making sure you weren’t too mad about the call.”

Ethan sighed. “I’m not mad. Just… try to be mindful, alright? I’m still your manager.”

Alex’s playful look softened, and for a moment, he looked at Ethan with something unreadable in his eyes. “Yeah, I know,” he said quietly. Then, after a beat, he grinned again. “But you make it hard to resist teasing.”

Ethan chuckled, shaking his head. “Goodnight, Alex.”

“Goodnight, Ethan.”

As he watched Alex walk down the hall, Ethan couldn’t help but feel that life had taken on a rhythm he hadn’t expected—a chaotic, confusing, and strangely enjoyable one, all because of Alex.