Bound by shadows

Ethan stood frozen, his chest heaving with the weight of his emotions. Every part of him screamed to break free, to run, to escape from the suffocating grasp that Adrien had on him. But no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't shake the pull of the man in front of him, the man who had made him feel both alive and destroyed at the same time.

Adrien's fingers traced the tear on Ethan's cheek, his touch impossibly gentle, as if trying to erase the traces of pain he had caused. But Ethan could feel the darkness behind it, the control that still lingered in every movement, in every word.

— "You don't have to fight anymore," Adrien whispered, his voice low, almost soothing. "I know you're tired, Ethan. Tired of running, tired of pretending you can escape me."

Ethan shook his head, trying to hold onto some semblance of resistance, but it was hard. The truth was that part of him wanted to surrender. Wanted to stop fighting and accept the inevitable. Adrien had always been there, always found him when he thought he could get away. And this time, the fear of running was worse than the fear of staying.

— "I don't want to be yours," Ethan whispered, his voice barely audible. "I want to be free."

Adrien's gaze softened, but there was no trace of pity in his eyes, only an understanding that made Ethan feel even more vulnerable.

— "You already are free, Ethan. You just don't want to admit it," Adrien said, stepping closer again, his presence overwhelming. "You're free to leave whenever you want... but you know, deep down, you will always come back."

Ethan's heart pounded in his chest. He didn't want to believe him. He didn't want to admit that maybe Adrien was right, that somehow, he had already been trapped. But the thought of leaving this place, of truly being free... it felt like a lie, like a cruel illusion.

Adrien's hand rested on Ethan's shoulder, grounding him, making him feel both anchored and caged. Ethan's breath hitched, his mind a whirlwind of conflicting emotions.

— "You can't run forever," Adrien murmured, his lips just inches from Ethan's ear. "I will always find you. Because you need me just as much as I need you."

Ethan shuddered, closing his eyes as his emotions threatened to overwhelm him. The need, the fear, the confusion—it all mixed together into something unbearable. He wanted to deny it, to scream, to tell Adrien that he was wrong. But the truth was that Ethan didn't know what he wanted anymore. He didn't know if he could leave, if he should leave, or if he even could ever be free.

— "Please…" Ethan gasped, his voice trembling. "Please let me go."

Adrien stepped back, his expression unreadable. He didn't speak for a moment, just stared at Ethan, as if weighing the truth of his words.

— "I can't let you go," Adrien finally said, his voice soft yet unyielding. "Because you don't want to be let go."

Ethan's eyes welled with tears, frustration and helplessness taking over. He clenched his fists at his sides, trying to steady himself.

— "I hate you," Ethan spat, the words barely escaping his throat as they were laced with desperation. "I hate what you've done to me."

Adrien's gaze softened, and for the first time, Ethan saw something other than control in his eyes—there was a flicker of something almost... tender.

— "I know you hate me," Adrien said, his voice quieter. "But that hate... it's what binds us. It's what keeps you coming back."

Ethan shook his head again, a silent tear slipping down his cheek. He hated how true those words felt. He hated how much he wanted Adrien, how much he craved the very touch that destroyed him.

— "I can't keep doing this," Ethan whispered, his voice barely a breath. "I can't be trapped like this anymore."

Adrien reached out, cupping Ethan's face in his hands, forcing him to look into his eyes. There was a tenderness in his touch, but it was still heavy, still controlling. Ethan didn't pull away, even though every part of him wanted to.

— "You never were," Adrien whispered softly. "You're not trapped, Ethan. You just don't know how to let go."

Ethan closed his eyes, the weight of Adrien's words pressing on his chest. How could he let go of something that had defined him for so long? How could he leave the man who had both destroyed him and given him a purpose at the same time?

The silence between them stretched out, and for a moment, it felt like the world had stopped moving. There was only them. And in that moment, Ethan realized—he wasn't sure what was worse: the chains that bound him or the fact that he didn't know if he could ever be free.

— "I don't know if I can," Ethan whispered, his voice filled with pain. "I don't know if I can ever escape this."

Adrien's lips curled into a faint, sad smile as he leaned down, brushing his lips against Ethan's forehead.

— "You don't need to," Adrien said softly. "You never needed to. You've always been mine, Ethan."

And as much as Ethan wanted to fight, as much as he wanted to break free, a part of him feared that perhaps Adrien was right. Perhaps he had always been trapped, even before he ever realized it.

Ethan felt the weight of Adrien's words like an anchor on his chest. Every time he thought he could breathe, that he could be free, Adrien appeared—stronger, more relentless. As if escaping this prison was impossible… as if he no longer even knew whether he wanted to or not.

— "I need some time," Ethan whispered, trying to pull away, but Adrien didn't let him. He pulled Ethan back effortlessly, as if he knew there was no escape for him.

— "Time?" Adrien asked, his voice cold, tinged with a hint of disdain. "You always ask for time. But you know very well that, in the end, no matter how much time passes… you always come back to me."

Ethan felt his heart tighten. Adrien's words reverberated in his mind, echoing like an undeniable truth. Every attempt to escape, every plan, all seemed futile in the face of a man who knew him better than he knew himself. As if Adrien was the only thing that still made sense in the chaos that was Ethan's life.

— "I'm not your toy," Ethan said with difficulty, still trying to hold on to some dignity. He looked at Adrien with anger and pain, trying to convince himself that he didn't want this life anymore, that he didn't want to be a prisoner in this endless cycle.

Adrien, however, didn't seem bothered. He looked at Ethan with that unsettling calm, almost as if he had been expecting these words.

— "You say that, but deep down, Ethan, you've never been anything more than that to me. And honestly? I never needed you to be anything else. The truth is, no matter how much you try to deny it, you know you'll always need me. Just as I need you."

The silence that followed was heavy. Ethan tried to look away, but Adrien placed a hand under his chin, forcing him to meet his gaze. His gray eyes were unwavering, and Ethan knew, with painful clarity, that Adrien was right. He needed him, like an addiction, like a part of himself he could no longer control. Something inside him was drawn to Adrien, something deep and dark that he couldn't deny.

— "I hate you," Ethan said, but his voice faltered, the anger mixed with a desire he despised even more. "I hate you for this."

Adrien smiled—that cold, knowing smile that always seemed to signal he had already won. He stepped even closer, their bodies nearly touching.

— "Hate and desire are brothers, Ethan," Adrien said softly, his voice laced with something irresistible. "They walk side by side. And you can't deny what you feel. You can scream, you can try to pull away, but in the end… we both know you'll always come back to me."

Ethan felt the pressure in his chest grow, the internal struggle becoming harder to fight. He wanted to step away, to find a way out, but something inside him wouldn't let him. Something, some dark part of his soul, craved Adrien, longed to be consumed by him, to surrender. And that terrified him.

— "I can't… I can't keep doing this," Ethan said, his voice quieter now, filled with doubt. "I don't know what I am anymore."

Adrien let out a soft sigh, and for the first time, a flicker of something unreadable passed through his eyes. But instead of pulling away, he moved closer, his fingers gently tracing Ethan's face.

— "You are everything I need, Ethan," he murmured, his voice carrying a disturbingly tender edge. "And you always will be. You may not understand it now, but there is no escape. We were made for each other, and in the end… you'll accept that."

Ethan closed his eyes, feeling Adrien's words seep into his mind like poison. His body no longer fought back. He could no longer tell where hatred ended and desire began. He was lost somewhere in between.

Adrien ran a finger across his lips, softly, as if he had all the time in the world. The sensation of his touch was both comforting and terrifying, as if all the air had been sucked out of Ethan's lungs.

— "I will never let you go, Ethan," Adrien whispered, his voice a seductive promise. "You belong to me. You always will."

And deep down, Ethan knew it was the most painful truth. He didn't know if he wanted to be free or if, in reality, he was already trapped—not just physically but emotionally.

The need for Adrien burned inside him, and he didn't know if he would ever truly escape.

But what he did know was that, no matter what path he took, he would always find himself back in Adrien's arms… even if it meant losing himself further.

And he hated himself for it.

The silence between them was deafening. Ethan could still feel Adrien's touch on his skin, like an invisible mark, something that burned without leaving wounds. His heart pounded in his chest, erratic, as if trying to warn him that once again, he was getting too close to the edge.

But it was too late to turn back.

— "Say you want to leave," Adrien whispered, his gray eyes locked onto Ethan's. "Say you never want to see me again. And I'll let you go."

Those words hung in the air like a cruel challenge. Ethan opened his mouth, but no sound came out. He could lie. He could say anything. But his own body betrayed him. He couldn't say the words that would set him free.

Adrien noticed. Of course, he did.

A satisfied smile curled his lips, and he let out a soft sigh, almost lazy, as if Ethan's answer had been obvious from the start. As if there had never been any doubt.

— "I knew it," Adrien murmured, sliding his fingers along Ethan's jawline, his touch far too gentle for someone so cruel. "You can run, Ethan. You can fight. But in the end, you'll always be mine."

Ethan closed his eyes, trying to silence the wave of emotions crashing over him. He hated Adrien. Hated how he was always right. How he always pulled him back, like an invisible thread that could never be cut.

— "You want so badly to believe you're a prisoner," Adrien continued, his voice smooth, hypnotic. "But the truth, Ethan, is that you choose to stay. You always have."

Ethan felt anger bubbling inside him. His hands trembled, but not from fear. From frustration. From hatred. From desire.

— "You're wrong," he hissed, his voice filled with helpless fury.

Adrien arched an eyebrow, as if genuinely curious.

— "Am I?"

Before Ethan could think, before he could act rationally, his fists clenched, and he shoved Adrien with force. The impact caught him off guard, and Adrien stumbled back, surprised.

But instead of anger, something flickered in his eyes. Something dangerous.

Ethan was panting, feeling the adrenaline rush through his veins. But his moment of victory was short-lived.

Adrien moved fast. Too fast. In an instant, he was in front of Ethan again, gripping his wrists, pinning him against the wall with ease. His face was too close, his breath warm against Ethan's skin.

— "That's it," Adrien whispered, a wicked smile playing on his lips. "Show me how much you hate me. How much you want to hurt me."

Ethan struggled, but it was useless. Adrien held him effortlessly, as if this was exactly what he wanted. As if every act of resistance only amused him more.

— "Do you want to run, Ethan?" Adrien murmured, his voice low, taunting. "Or do you want me to hold you even tighter?"

Ethan swallowed hard, his breath uneven. He wanted to respond. He wanted to scream. But the words were stuck in his throat.

Adrien leaned in, his voice a devastating whisper against Ethan's ear.

— "Run, if you want," he murmured. "But know this… if you do, I will come after you. Like I always do. And when I find you…"

He let his lips graze Ethan's skin, leaving a trail of electricity in their wake.

— "I won't be so gentle."

Ethan's body trembled. He knew he should be afraid. But what coursed through his veins at that moment was something far worse. Something that made his mind scream while his body begged for more.

He was lost.

And for the first time, Ethan didn't know if he wanted to be found.