The night stretched on with a heavy silence, the kind that made Elijah's heart race as he sat across from Dominic, the weight of their proximity pulling at him like gravity. They were alone in the dimly lit room of the usual place—an exclusive, private lounge that Dominic frequented to conduct business without prying eyes. Tonight, however, it was far from business. Tonight, it felt like a reckoning.
Elijah couldn't shake the feeling that something had shifted between them—between him and Dominic. The way Dominic looked at him, the way his hand brushed against Elijah's skin with deliberate intent earlier, it was all too much. Elijah wasn't sure if he was supposed to be angry, confused, or something else entirely.
Dominic had been quiet since they sat down, the usual commanding presence replaced by something darker, more brooding. Elijah, who had once prided himself on his carefree attitude, felt like he was treading dangerous ground now, unsure of what to say or do.
"So," Elijah started, his voice rough, "what exactly is this? You know... this thing between us." His words were out before he could stop them. The question had been on his mind for days now, but it seemed impossible to get the right words to match the whirlwind of thoughts in his head.
Dominic's eyes never left him, though there was a flicker of something unreadable behind them. "What do you think it is?" he asked, his voice low, almost as if he were testing Elijah's resolve.
Elijah swallowed hard, feeling his heart race. "I don't know," he admitted. "One minute, you're... doing things that make me want to kiss you, and the next, it's like I don't even exist to you."
Dominic leaned forward, his gaze intense. "You think I'm ignoring you?" His voice was edged with a dark amusement, as if Elijah had just crossed a line. "I've never ignored you, Elijah. You know that."
Elijah felt his pulse quicken at the way Dominic's name rolled off his tongue, so intimate and deliberate. "Then what is it? Why do you keep pulling away?"
Dominic didn't answer immediately. Instead, he reached forward, brushing his thumb over Elijah's knuckles, sending a shock of electricity through his body. It was a move that made everything inside Elijah stir. His eyes flickered up to meet Dominic's, but the intensity in his gaze made him falter for a moment.
"You're not ready for this," Dominic finally said, his voice laced with something that sounded almost... like regret.
"What do you mean?" Elijah asked, his chest tightening. "I'm right here, Dominic. I'm not going anywhere."
Dominic stood up suddenly, his movement swift and controlled, like a predator sensing danger. "You have no idea what you're stepping into," he said, his voice colder than Elijah had ever heard it. "This... this life, this world I'm part of—it's not something you can just walk into without consequences."
Elijah stood, too, his hand instinctively reaching for Dominic's arm. "I don't care about your world, Dominic. I care about you." The words spilled out before he could stop them, raw and vulnerable, and for a brief moment, he saw the shock in Dominic's eyes.
Dominic's gaze softened for a fraction of a second, but it quickly hardened again, like a wall had been erected between them. "You have no idea what you're saying," he muttered under his breath. "You don't get to decide that for both of us."
Elijah's chest constricted. "So, what? You're just going to push me away again?" He could hear the hurt in his own voice, the raw emotion that he hadn't been able to hide. "What do you want from me, Dominic? Why are you doing this?"
Dominic was silent for a moment, and for the first time, Elijah could see the weight of his own emotions, the internal battle that Dominic had been fighting. He wasn't the cold, calculating mafia boss anymore. He was a man struggling with his own desires—and those desires were tearing him apart.
"Because I want you," Dominic finally said, his voice low, almost a whisper. "But I can't have you. Not like this. Not when you don't understand what that would mean."
Elijah felt his heart drop into his stomach. He knew Dominic wanted him. The signs were all there. But hearing him admit it... hearing the hesitation in his voice—it made everything more complicated.
"You don't think I can handle it?" Elijah's voice was sharp, and the anger bubbled to the surface faster than he could control it. "I'm not some kid, Dominic. I'm not some toy you can push aside when things get tough."
Dominic's expression flickered for a brief moment—something between regret and frustration. "You think I want to push you away?" he said, his voice low, guttural. "You think I'm doing this because I don't care about you?"
Elijah didn't know what to say. He didn't know what he wanted anymore. All he knew was that Dominic was standing in front of him, and everything that Elijah thought he understood about his own feelings was starting to crumble.
Dominic reached out suddenly, his fingers gripping Elijah's jaw, forcing him to look up. "I want you, Elijah," he repeated, his voice harsh now. "But you don't get to choose how this plays out. I do."
The intensity in his eyes was overwhelming. Elijah felt like he couldn't breathe, but at the same time, he didn't want to pull away. He was tangled up in Dominic's web, and he wasn't sure if he wanted to escape or get caught deeper.
"Then make me understand," Elijah whispered, his voice breaking slightly. "Make me understand why we can't be together."
For a moment, Dominic didn't answer. He just stared down at Elijah, his expression conflicted. Then, with a quiet sigh, he finally pulled Elijah into his arms, his grip firm but gentle, as if he was afraid that letting go would break something between them.
"I can't protect you from everything," Dominic whispered into his ear. "But I can protect you from this. From me."
The words were sharp, cutting through the fog in Elijah's mind. He didn't know if he should be angry or relieved, but for the first time, he understood something: Dominic wasn't just trying to keep him away. He was trying to protect him from the darkness that came with his world.
And for some reason, Elijah wasn't sure he wanted to be protected. Not anymore.
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