Eli couldn't stop thinking about J.M.
It had only been a few hours since their encounter in the street, but the feeling of J.M.'s touch his fingers brushing against his skin was still alive in his body, vibrating through him with every breath. The air in the room felt thicker, suffocating even, as though every inch of his space was slowly being filled with J.M.'s presence.
He tried to push it away. Tried to focus on work. Tried to convince himself that the whole thing was just an illusion a mistake. But the more he tried, the more it felt like he was drowning in J.M.'s hold.
By the time he got home, it was already too late. He was trapped.
Jason was on the couch, his usual place when he wasn't working, scrolling through his phone. He didn't look up as Eli entered, but Eli knew that Jason could feel the tension hanging in the air. There was no way he couldn't. The silence between them was different. It was loaded, heavy, like something unspoken was hovering just on the edge of their conversation.
"Still not talking about it, huh?" Jason said, his voice casual, but Eli could hear the underlying concern.
Eli paused, the weight of Jason's words settling heavily on his chest. He wanted to say something, anything, to ease the rising pressure inside him. But the only thing that seemed to matter was J.M. And the fact that no matter how much he resisted, his mind kept going back to the same place.
"I'm fine," Eli said, the words coming out too quickly. He was lying. Jason knew it, and Eli knew Jason knew it. But Jason didn't press.
"Okay. Just don't shut me out, alright?"
Jason's words hit harder than Eli expected. It was a reminder of how much Jason cared, how much he relied on their friendship. But no matter how much he wanted to lean on Jason, to confide in him, he couldn't bring himself to open up about J.M.
Eli went to his room, shutting the door behind him and leaning against it as if it could keep the world out. His hands were shaking slightly as he reached for his phone. His thumb hovered over J.M.'s contact name. He shouldn't. He knew he shouldn't. But he couldn't help it.
The message was still there.
> "You can't escape me, Eli. I won't let you."
He swallowed, his heart beating faster. Part of him screamed to ignore it, to put the phone down and walk away. But his fingers betrayed him as they typed a response.
> "Why me?"
He stared at the message for what felt like an eternity, waiting for a reply that he wasn't sure he was ready to hear. Then, the phone buzzed.
> "Because you're mine."
Eli's chest tightened. He was losing himself in this, he could feel it. Every word J.M. said seemed to sink deeper into him, taking root in a way he couldn't shake. The promise in J.M.'s voice, the certainty that he was already in Eli's world, whether Eli liked it or not, was becoming undeniable.
His hands clenched the phone tighter, but he couldn't bring himself to turn it off. He wanted to. He really did. But the pull was too strong.
The next day, Eli went through the motions. Work. The usual routine. Jason was gone most of the afternoon, and Eli found himself alone again in the quiet apartment. His mind wandered back to J.M., and before he knew it, he was walking out the door.
It wasn't even a conscious decision. His feet were moving on their own, as though they were leading him somewhere somewhere he knew he shouldn't go. But his body didn't care. There was only one place his mind kept pulling him back to: J.M.
Eli didn't even recognize the street he was walking down. Everything blurred around him, his vision narrowing until he found himself standing in front of an old building, its dark windows reflecting his anxious face. He had no idea how he'd gotten here, but there was something pulling him inside, a force stronger than his own will.
He took a deep breath and pushed the door open.
The inside was dimly lit, and there was an eerie silence that greeted him as he stepped in. His footsteps echoed on the cold floor, and his breath caught in his throat. Every part of him screamed to turn back, to leave, but his feet betrayed him once again.
"Eli."
His name came out as a low murmur, and he froze, his blood running cold.
J.M. was standing there, leaning against the wall with his arms crossed, his dark eyes locked onto Eli's with that same unnerving intensity. It was as though J.M. had been waiting for him.
"I knew you'd come," J.M. said softly, his voice carrying the weight of certainty.
Eli's throat tightened, and he took a step back, his heart racing. "What is this? Why are you doing this?" he asked, his voice barely above a whisper.
J.M. smiled, a slow, confident curve of his lips. "Because you need this, Eli. You need me."
Eli didn't know what to say. Didn't know how to fight the pull J.M. had on him. Every inch of him screamed for freedom, to walk away, but he couldn't move. Not when J.M.'s presence wrapped around him like a chain, tight and unbreakable.
"Why?" Eli asked again, his voice breaking this time. "Why are you doing this to me?"
J.M. pushed himself off the wall, taking a step closer, his gaze never leaving Eli's face. "Because I see you, Eli. You're lost. And I'm the only one who can make you feel found."
Eli shook his head, his mind spinning, his emotions crashing over him like waves. He didn't know if he wanted to run or if he wanted to stay. But everything in him was drawn to J.M., this magnetic force he couldn't fight.
"You're mine, Eli," J.M. repeated, his voice low and steady. "And I'll make sure you know it."
Eli's breath caught in his throat as J.M. stepped closer, his presence overwhelming. He opened his mouth to say something, but the words wouldn't come.
All he could do was stare into J.M.'s eyes, the weight of the truth sinking in.
J.M. wasn't just a person anymore. He was a force in Eli's life.
And there was no escape.