Bound by shadows

The rain pounded against the window, tracing distorted trails on the fogged glass. Ethan stared at the locked door, his wrists still marked by the chains that had once bound him. Now free within the mansion, he knew that freedom was only an illusion.

— "Are you thinking of running away again?"

Adrien's deep voice filled the room, sending a shiver down Ethan's spine. He turned slowly, meeting those gray eyes that always seemed to read his thoughts.

— "You know you can't keep me here forever," Ethan replied, his voice firm, though his hands trembled.

Adrien smiled—cold, calculating—and stepped closer. His touch was gentle, but the control he wielded was suffocating.

— "Who said I want to keep you locked up? You can leave… but you know you always come back."

Ethan felt his heart tighten. It was true. Every time he managed to escape, something pulled him back to this place, to Adrien. It wasn't just fear. It was something darker, something that burned inside him whenever those eyes were on him.

Adrien cupped his face with delicate fingers, his thumb grazing Ethan's lips.

— "You already belong to me, Ethan. You always have."

And deep down, Ethan knew that even if he ran away a thousand times, he would always end up back in the arms of the man who made him feel alive… and utterly destroyed at the same time.

Ethan felt his breath catch in his chest. Adrien's touch was soft, almost tender, but beneath that gentleness lay an inescapable dominance. It had been that way since the very first day.

— "I was never yours," Ethan whispered, trying to pull away. But Adrien was faster, gripping his wrist firmly without hurting him.

— "Then tell me… why are you still here?" Adrien tilted his head, his gray eyes gleaming under the dim chandelier light.

Ethan wanted to answer. He wanted to scream that it was because Adrien hunted him down every time he escaped, because he always found him, dragged him back, and made him doubt himself. But deep down, he knew that wasn't the only reason. He could have left forever if he truly wanted to.

The silence between them grew heavy until Adrien let out a sigh and traced his fingers along Ethan's jaw, lifting his face.

— "You can run as many times as you want," he murmured. "But you always end up back in my arms, Ethan. Because I'm the only one who truly understands you."

Ethan hated how true those words were.

— "You're a monster," he whispered, his voice shaking.

Adrien smiled, and there was something both wicked and mesmerizing about that smile.

— "And you love me anyway."

Before Ethan could deny it, Adrien pulled him closer, his lips barely brushing against Ethan's. It wasn't a kiss of possession. It was a warning.

And Ethan hated how much he wanted to give in.

Ethan could feel the heat of Adrien's body, his breath so close that it made Ethan's own heart beat against his ribs. He should have pulled away. He should have shoved Adrien away, spat out words of hatred, sworn that he would never be trapped again.

But he stayed.

Adrien's gray gaze darkened with something dangerous, and Ethan knew, in that moment, he had lost. Or maybe he had never won to begin with.

— "No need to fight," Adrien whispered, his fingers tracing down Ethan's neck. "We both know how this always ends."

Ethan closed his eyes, struggling against the wave of emotions drowning him. Anger. Fear. Desire.

— "I hate you," he whispered, his voice weak.

Adrien chuckled softly.

— "I know. But hate and love go hand in hand, don't they?" He leaned in a little closer, his lips brushing against Ethan's skin. "That's why you always come back."

Ethan shivered, his body trembling. He wanted to deny it. He wanted to scream. But then Adrien took his hand and guided it to his chest, over the thin fabric of his black shirt. Ethan could feel Adrien's heart racing, as fast as his own.

And that scared him more than any chains that had ever bound him.

— "If I left now…" Ethan began, his voice a hesitant whisper. "Would you let me go?"

For a moment, Adrien simply watched him. The silence between them was like a stretched wire, ready to snap.

Then, Adrien smiled, and there was something devastating in that smile.

— "Try and find out."

Ethan knew it was a challenge. One he never managed to win.

But this time, he had to try.

Ethan took a step back, his mind a whirlwind of conflicting thoughts. Adrien's words echoed in his ears, taunting him, pulling at him like a magnetic force he couldn't escape. For a moment, Ethan thought about running—just turning around and fleeing into the night, out of the mansion, and into the world beyond. But his legs felt heavy, as if something invisible was holding him in place.

Adrien watched him with that same knowing, patient gaze, as if he already knew what Ethan was thinking. There was no escape, no freedom, not while Adrien had this hold on him.

— "Go ahead," Adrien said softly, his voice barely more than a whisper. "Run. But don't pretend it will make a difference."

Ethan's heart raced as he struggled with the decision. Was it possible to walk away from all of this? To walk away from the pull, the bond, that had always existed between them? Adrien's presence was like a storm—violent, intoxicating, and impossible to ignore.

Adrien stepped closer, his fingers gently brushing Ethan's cheek. The touch was light, almost caring, but Ethan could feel the weight of Adrien's control in every movement.

— "You think you can escape me?" Adrien murmured. "You think you can outrun this... connection?"

Ethan swallowed, his voice betraying him as it came out shaky.

— "I don't want this anymore."

Adrien's smile faded, and for a brief moment, there was something unreadable in his eyes. But then, just as quickly, his expression shifted back to that cold, calculating mask.

— "You never had a choice."

Before Ethan could respond, Adrien closed the gap between them, his lips pressing firmly against Ethan's in a kiss that was both tender and possessive. Ethan froze for a moment, shocked by the force of it, the way Adrien pulled him closer, deeper into the kiss.

Ethan knew he should push him away. He should have rejected this, should have fought back with everything he had. But his body betrayed him again, responding to Adrien in a way he hated. It was as if the bond between them was stronger than his own will, an invisible chain that kept him tethered.

Adrien pulled away slowly, his lips hovering just inches from Ethan's.

— "You say you don't want this, Ethan," he whispered. "But we both know that isn't true."

Ethan closed his eyes, a tear slipping down his cheek. He hated this. He hated how much he needed Adrien, how much he craved the very thing that destroyed him.

— "I can't be what you want me to be," Ethan whispered, his voice breaking.

Adrien stroked Ethan's hair softly, a strange gentleness in his touch.

— "You don't need to be anything, Ethan. You just need to be mine."

Ethan's breath caught in his throat as the words wrapped around him like a vice. He had never felt more trapped, more powerless.

And yet, a part of him wondered if he could ever truly escape.