"Stop it!" Liam groaned as he pried his hand away from Eli's.
People looked toward the source of the ruckus. Some were merely curious, while others appeared genuinely concerned. Eli looked back at the few sincere people and gave them a soft smile.
"Sorry for bothering you. My friend's just having a rough day, aren't you, Liam?" He softly caressed Liam's wrist, where red marks were visible.
The store clerk stopped intervening and smiled at them, apologizing and wishing them a good day. Liam pulled his sleeve down over his bruised wrist, his fingers trembling slightly.
"Stop it..." he whispered. "We're outside, please."
Elijah gritted his teeth and shoved the grocery bags toward Liam before walking out of the store into the sweltering heat, Liam trailing slowly behind. They reached a quiet area, free from traffic, and suddenly, the footsteps in front of Liam ceased. Elijah stopped and turned toward him.
"Come here," Eli commanded, his voice hard as steel. (yk what else is as hard as steel?)
The plastic bags crinkled as Liam clenched them, his hesitation palpable. It was the first time he'd dared tell Eli to stop. He'd never dared to do it before. Why now? Was it because Elijah had shown him a smile he'd never seen before? Because he was being treated kindly, the way he had always longed to be treated? Was that why he let his guard down and indulged in himself rather than gratifying the ruthless desires of that person? Because, for once, he thought they were on equal ground?
"Hey," Eli snapped, his scowl deepening as he glared at the frozen boy, "Are you deaf? Come here, I said."
"I-I'm sorry, okay? Elijah, I'm sorry..." Liam mumbled in broken fragments, staring at the ground, frozen in place, his knees wobbled as if they would give way at any second. A cold sweat clung to his skin, but it was the tremors that shook him to his core—uncontrollable, violent shivers that made his entire body jerk.
Eli exhaled with a sharp, dismissive sigh, the kind that only comes when you're completely fed up. 'This is ridiculous,' he grumbled, his voice low and thick with irritation. He walked briskly toward Liam, who stumbled back, broken apologies tumbling from his lips.
He lifted his gaze to look at Elijah. "Elijah! I'm sorry, I'm sorry! I shouldn't have done-!"
BAM!
A hand whipped Liam across the face, causing him to wobble and drop the groceries. His head jerked downwards as the force from the slap met his cheeks. The sharp pain inside his mouth made him wince. The cooling air and the hot blood falling from his mouth contrasted in temperature, in the end making him feel numb. His cheeks were red from the slap.
"I really am sorry, Eli, I really am..." He said, rushing to pick up the clothes from the ground.
Elijah glared at the pitiful figure scrambling below him and huffed.
"Fuck the clothes, get up."
Liam faced him once more. Elijah took in his appearance: lips torn and dripping blood, cheeks bruised, neck scratched, and eyes glistening with tears—an involuntary response to the pain. He felt a sense of superiority—the kind you get when your pet rejects everyone else but still seeks your attention. He smiled.
Eli's hand brushed Liam's cheek, his felt hot. For a brief moment, Liam flinched, the ghost of a bruise still lingering on his skin from previous encounters. Eli's fingers lingered, a slow, deliberate motion that made Liam's pulse quicken.
"Prepare yourself for later," Eli's voice was low, thick with something dangerous, a promise in the air between them. "I've waited long enough." His eyes darkened, and the faintest smirk played at the corners of his lips as he leaned in closer, his breath warm against Liam's ear. 'You wouldn't want me fucking a random person off the street, right?'
Liam swallowed hard, trying to ignore the sudden wave of dread that washed over him, but it was impossible. The thought of someone else, someone unfamiliar, treating him the way Eli did, made his stomach twist in horror. He could barely keep his eyes from darting around, as though searching for an escape.
"I don't... want that..." he whispered, his voice shuddering.
ns 15.158.61.8da2
