Eli's world had shifted. The moment J.M. had whispered those words, "You're mine," something inside him had cracked. He didn't want to admit it not to himself, not to anyone but the truth was undeniable. J.M. had a hold on him. A hold that no one else had ever been able to take.
But that didn't mean Eli was going to let it go so easily.
He couldn't.
It wasn't just about pride. It was more than that. It was about keeping a part of himself untouched, unclaimed. He wasn't about to let someone like J.M. waltz into his life and dictate his every move.
Yet, every time he tried to push away, to build a barrier between them, J.M. seemed to step closer. Like he was always two steps ahead, anticipating his every move, always knowing exactly how to pull him back.
It had been a few days since that night, and Eli was still haunted by the look in J.M.'s eyes dark, unreadable, yet full of something undeniable. Desire? Power? Maybe both. But it was the way J.M. made him feel: as if he was the only one in the room, as if Eli had no choice but to be pulled into his orbit.
Eli had told himself he'd avoid J.M. for a while. Lay low. But when the message came in that morning, the one he knew would be from J.M., his resolve faltered. He reached for his phone, ignoring the flicker of hesitation in his chest. He had to know. He just had to.
> "I'll be seeing you soon, Eli. Don't make me come looking for you."
The words were simple, direct. But there was something behind them, something that made Eli's heart rate spike. It was like J.M. knew exactly what he was doing, playing him like an instrument, testing how far he could push.
He stood up from his desk, pacing around the apartment. His thoughts were scattered, caught between wanting to scream at J.M. for being so… so insufferable and wanting to walk straight into his arms because it felt like the only thing that made sense.
The conflict was wearing him down.
A knock on the door broke his reverie. Eli froze. He hadn't expected anyone. His gaze flickered to the clock midday, the worst possible time for a visit. He didn't know who it was, but part of him already knew.
Without thinking, he opened the door.
There stood J.M., leaning casually against the doorframe as though he owned the place, his eyes dark and knowing.
"J.M.," Eli said, his voice barely above a whisper. "What the hell are you doing here?"
J.M.'s lips twitched, a small smirk playing on the corners of his mouth. He pushed past Eli into the apartment without waiting for an invitation.
"I told you I'd come for you, Eli," J.M. said, his voice smooth like velvet. "You didn't think I'd just let you run away, did you?"
Eli closed the door behind him, his chest tightening. "I didn't ask for this. I don't need you here."
"Need me?" J.M. repeated, his tone teasing, almost mocking. "It's not about need, Eli. It's about control. And right now, you're in a game you can't win."
Eli took a step back, his mind racing. He wanted to argue, to push him out, but the words felt empty. How could he fight this? How could he fight someone who seemed to know him better than he knew himself?
"I'm not a pawn for your games, J.M.," Eli said, trying to sound firm. But the words fell flat. His voice shook.
J.M. stepped closer, closing the distance between them, his presence overwhelming. He reached out, his fingers brushing Eli's arm gently. The touch was electric, sending a shiver through Eli's body. He flinched, but J.M. didn't let go. He lingered there, as if he was savoring the tension.
"I never said you were, Eli," J.M. murmured, his breath warm against Eli's ear. "But whether you want it or not, you're already in this. And I'm not going anywhere."
The room felt smaller, suffocating. Eli's mind was racing, his heart pounding in his chest. J.M. was right. There was no escape. No way out. Everything he'd built, every wall he'd put up, was crumbling under J.M.'s steady, unrelenting touch.
Eli didn't know how long they stood there, trapped in the unspoken, the air thick with something unnameable. He couldn't think. Couldn't move. He could only feel J.M.'s gaze on him, feel the pull of the man who seemed to have already claimed every part of him.
"You think you can walk away from me, Eli?" J.M. said, his voice low and almost dangerous. "You're mine now. Whether you like it or not."
Eli opened his mouth to protest, but the words didn't come. Instead, he felt a hot rush of anger and something else a desperate longing that scared him. He didn't want to want this. Didn't want to feel this way. But there it was, crawling under his skin.
J.M. smiled, reading him like an open book. "You're confused. It's okay. But you'll figure it out soon enough. I'm not letting you go. Ever."
Eli tried to push him away, but his body betrayed him, stepping closer instead. He felt trapped, like he was drowning in the sensation of J.M. so close to him. His fingers itched to reach out, to touch. But no. No, he couldn't.
He stepped back, suddenly feeling suffocated by the weight of J.M.'s presence. "Get out," he spat, trying to sound confident. But it came out broken.
J.M. didn't move. Instead, he leaned in, his lips brushing the shell of Eli's ear. "You can't tell me what to do, Eli. I'll always be here. Waiting for you to give in."
Eli's breath hitched, his whole body tensing. He wanted to push him away, to fight, but the way J.M. said it so sure, so confident made him freeze.
"I'm not… not like you," Eli said, his voice quieter now, barely a whisper. "I won't be controlled."
But even as the words left his mouth, he knew it was too late. He already was.
J.M. smiled, the victory clear in his eyes. "We'll see about that."