SageSilence. He didn’t answer me.Not when I spoke, not when I waited. Not when I looked at him, searching for something, anything that would tell me I wasn’t losing my mind. That I wasn’t imagining all of this.But the professor said nothing.All my life, people have had a lot to say so imagine my surprise when there was nothing to say. I gave him all the chances to tell me that I was being extra.That I meant a lot to him.That this would last as long as I wanted it.That he was sorry for making me sad but he kept mute like he couldn’t be bothered to make small talk.I thought we were okay with where we were in our relationship, we ought to communicate. I came here to find a level ground with him but it looks like the rug was pulled from under my feet.So I retreated.I withdrew into my own head, into the space where I could pick apart the mess of emotions tangled inside me without his watchful, unreadable gaze.I was already drowning in it so did it even matter if I did with my t
KaidenThere was a particular kind of satisfaction that came with watching things fall apart exactly as you planned.I leaned back against Sage’s couch, stretching my legs out while I waited for him to get home. The smell of takeout filled the apartment, his favorite dishes, of course. It was all part of the process.Cook him food, since he couldn’t right now. Then push him just enough so that he needs me. Then pull him back in with open arms.It was working beautifully.I had put something between him and that damn professor. A wedge, a crack, a growing divide that would soon be impossible to repair.And knowing who Sage was, he was the type of person to escalate things since he tended to overthink. He would use the professor’s words and twist it into something to make an issue of.And now, I was here, food in hand, ready to remind him who had always been by his side.Me.I needed to be his best friend again so he would accept me and that meant putting my jealousy and aggressiveness
SageIt was easier than I thought it would be.Not calling him.Not texting.Not looking in his direction when I sat through class, even though I could feel his eyes on me.It wasn’t easy in the way breathing was easy, it was easy in the way holding a hot pan was. It burned, but if you clenched your fists tight enough, if you convinced yourself you wanted to endure it, you could.And that’s what I did.I clenched my fists, bit my tongue, and stood on business.Kaiden was my distraction, he kept to his words and stuck to my side like glue. Not letting me wallow in my self pity or even think about the professor.He picked me up after class, grinning like he’d won something, and honestly, maybe he had. We spent the rest of the day together, laughing, eating, walking around like we didn’t have a single worry in the world.Just like that, I didn’t have to think about the professor much. I did everything I could to avoid thinking about him. Since Kaiden was spending time with me, I forgave
SageOut of nervousness, I threw the wine back in my throat. It burned but it gave me a little bit of courage.I wagged my finger at him as he poured me another glass,“Don’t think I don’t know what you are doing,”“And what am I doing, Sage?” He rumbled in that thick voice of his.The list hit me out of nowhere and I struggled to clamp my legs together.“Inviting me to your house and offering me wine knowing I am a lightweight, what do you hope to achieve?”He shrugged, “I don’t know what you are talking about, Sage. I just want to catch up on my favorite student, is there something wrong about that?”I scoffed, “so now I am your favorite student?” I gulped the content in the glass, “days ago, you were calling me a mere student.”He chuckled and took another sip of his wine. “You know the problem with you? You always overthink things. I thought we could be friends.”For some reason, that word seemed to ignite something in front of me.“You called me here to tell me that? You should
I fucking read it wrong.I clutched the back of his head as I tasted myself, I didn't shy away from it. I opened my mouth for him to slip his tongue in, tasting my sperm well. He turned me so that my back was facing him. Yeah, let me quickly explain how this happened.I finished my food and waited, I don’t know why I was waiting. I should have grabbed my bag and left but I decided to stay.He grabbed both our dishes and went to the sink with them.“Okay, thank you for honoring my invitation.”“You didn’t give me a choice, did you?”“Yeah, you are right.” He chuckled, he dried the plates off and hung them. “I guess it’s time for you to go.”Somehow, those words saddened me. I didn’t realize how much I enjoyed spending time with him till now. I didn’t want to leave.“Uh…yeah…sure. I better start going.”I took my time standing, and shuffled to the door.“Sage?” He called out,I turned swiftly, eager to hear what he had to say.He held my jacket in his hands, “you are forgetting your j
SageMy mouth watered, he didn't look like he was done with me and frankly, I didn't want him to be.I missed him so much.I had no idea why I was torturing myself by staying away from him. Being with him was the best thing that has ever happened to my body.Look at the way it was singing praises just because it was close to the professor.I don't know what surprises me, the ease we both slipped into our role or the way I still wanted more. He carried me in his arms and leaned against the table, his cock slipped in easily, my legs were high up in the air and his hands supported me under my ass.“Professor," the moan slipped out as he thrust into me, deeply. My eyes rolled to the back of my head with just one movement.His lips came to my ear as he whispered, "Stroke your cock for me,"I gripped my cock with a trembling hand, my whole body shaking from intense pleasure. If I had known this was how I would feel, I would have begged him to take me sooner.I stroked my cock faster as he
SageI stared at him, stunned.There was no way he had just said that.He lay there, his expression calm, too calm. It made my blood boil.What in the actual fuck?You know that second when everything was going well till someone drops a bomb and you are left wondering why there was even such a thing?I turned awkwardly toward him, placing a hand on his chest as if that would steady me. “What does that mean?” My voice came out hoarse, but I didn’t care.He scoffed. “You heard me.”My jaw clenched. “You think I’m sleeping with Kaiden? Where would you even get that?”He chuckled, a low, almost condescending sound. “It’s not about what I think, Sage. It’s about what I see.”My head started spinning.That’s what he’d been thinking this whole time?I couldn’t wrap my mind around it. He sat there, so damn composed, like he hadn’t just thrown a grenade into the conversation.He tilted his head. “If you’re not sleeping with him, then why are you spending so much time with him?”I clenched my f
SageI was so fucking stupid.I wanted to hit myself on the head a billion times.But I didn’t.Instead, I walked up the stairs to my apartment, my entire body weighed down by exhaustion and regret.How could I have said that?How could I look him in the eye and say I hated him?I didn’t hate him. I never had.But my mouth always moved faster than my brain, and now I had fucked up.I should have just did what he said, stop being dramatic but I had to fuck it up. I had hurt him simply because I was hurt.I was offended by his assumption that Kaiden and I were sleeping together. He wasn’t far off but still, it rubbed me off the wrong way.I managed to shove my key into the lock and turn it, pushing the door open with a tired sigh. The second I stepped inside, I let myself collapse onto the couch, my arms falling limply at my sides.I placed a hand over my eyes and shut them tight. I deserve more than a hit in the head. Maybe a beating would better prove a point.The professor had kept h
Kaiden The clock on the bedside read 3:12 a.m. I rolled onto my side, confused by the soft glow seeping under the bedroom door. I blinked the sleep from my eyes, and when I looked over, Sage was still fast asleep beside me, his breathing steady and rhythmic. I reached out, touched his hair lightly, then slid out of bed. The hallway was silent except for the distant hum of the fridge and the occasional rustle of the wind brushing the windows. I padded barefoot across the wood floor, and as I neared the living room, the scent of whiskey hit me first. That, and the sound of papers being shuffled with irritation more than purpose. The soft overhead light in the corner cast a gold sheen across the professor’s back. He was hunched over the coffee table, glass of whiskey in one hand, papers spread out like an autopsy, calm chaos wrapped in tension. He didn’t look up when I entered. “You’re still awake?” I asked, keeping my voice low. “I have work to do,” he said, not looking at me. His
KaidenI watched Sage’s chest rise and fall steadily, his breathing finally even and calm after a long, exhausting day. The faint hum of the heater filled the small apartment as the evening air drifted colder through the windows. He looked peaceful in sleep, peaceful in a way that didn’t match anything we’d been living through lately. It was a lie his body told, one I was grateful for, even if I knew it wouldn’t last. The last thing I needed was for him to keep worrying about the unknown.Today took a toll on him.I sat at the edge of the couch, elbows resting on my knees, hands folded, but my thoughts weren’t still. They kept drifting back to the question he asked earlier about whether we’d ever go back to how things were. And now I knew for certain: we couldn’t. Not with this storm closing in around us, not when every time I let my guard down, something tried to take Sage from me.I haven’t even figured out how to apologize to the professor, it took me a lot of thinking to realize
SageThe next morning, Kaiden and I walked to school in silence. The meal we shared was so brief and he stayed with me. The professor didn’t come home and when I called him, he said he was working late and we should enjoy ourselves.I knew it was because he didn’t want to spend time with Kaiden. After their argument, they have been tense with each other.I didn’t want to Interfere in their problems as it could escalate into something I wouldn’t be able to control.I looked at Kaiden, I know we have already talked about this but I was so curious.I wanted to ask him again about where he’d really been that day, but the tension in his jaw warned me off. Still, I couldn’t help myself. “So,” I started, kicking a loose pebble on the sidewalk, “you never really told me where you went. Like, actually went.” His steps didn’t falter, but his grip tightened around the strap of his backpack. “I told you. I needed to clear my head.” “Yeah, but that could mean anything,” I pressed. “You just
SageI stood just outside the hospital’s main entrance, staring at the parking lot like it was a war zone. The discharge papers were crumpled slightly in my grip. I could feel my fingers tremble, but I didn’t loosen them. The sun was bright, the day clear, but I felt like I was standing in the middle of a fog, one that hadn’t lifted since I was attacked.Kaiden mentioned he would come and pick me up, hence the hesitation. I felt like if he wasn’t here to do that, I wouldn’t go. “Ready?” His voice pulled me out of my head.I turned toward him. He had one hand in his pocket, the other adjusting the strap of my duffel bag slung over his shoulder. His hair was a little messy, like he hadn’t even bothered with a brush this morning, and his hoodie looked slept in. But his eyes, his eyes were alert. “I don’t know if ready’s the word I’d use,” I admitted. My voice sounded too thin to my own ears. “I feel like I’m being pushed out of safety and right back into the middle of whatever this me
KaidenI slept at my place after the detective dropped me off. He was looking at me like he had a lot to say about what happened but I didn’t.Yes, I overreacted but I couldn’t go back there. I felt suffocated and the only thing I needed was freedom. I needed to find my answers and not let it extend to my relationship.I decided to go see Detective Bryan. The man in charge of narcotics. The one who might know what the hell was really going on. I hadn’t told Sage or the professor anything. Not yet. I couldn’t, not until I had something real. Something more than just paranoia and late-night shadows tailing me.I sat hunched over my laptop in a dingy little café two blocks from my apartment, the place reeking of burnt espresso and desperation. I typed in “Detective Bryan, Narcotics Division, city PD” and hit search. A few articles came up. He was decorated, involved in several high-profile raids. One article had a photo, square jaw, stern face, early forties. Not someone you’d expect to
SageI woke to silence. Not the peaceful kind, the kind that sets your skin crawling with dread, like the air itself is holding its breath. The clock on the wall read a little past 3am and I could see the shadows stretched along the floor, motionless. I looked around and noticed with a slight disappointment that Kaiden wasn’t here. I blinked twice and turned my head toward the small couch across the room. No professor either.My heart sank.They were gone. Both of them.I have never felt so alone. I thought they would both stay with me so I won’t be scared. But I was a big boy and could handle myself.I sat up slowly, the sheets slipping off my chest as I scanned the dim room. Maybe they went for a walk. Maybe Kaiden needed air and the professor tagged along. Maybe I was being paranoid.Or maybe something was very, very wrong.I was about to slide out of bed when the doorknob turned.I froze.The door creaked open, and the harsh fluorescent light from the hallway spilled into the r
KaidenI left the hospital with a gnawing unease in my gut. I hadn’t told Sage or the Professor the full truth, that I needed to test Raines myself, to see if he was really on our side or if he was playing us. If I had voiced my suspicions, the professor would have warned me against it, and Sage… well, Sage would have insisted on coming with me, injuries be damned. But this was something I had to do alone. I couldn’t pretend for the life of me. If the detective wasn’t on our side then I needed to know now, to save myself the trouble of finding out later.I know that the professor was just trying to be cautious but the detective was kind of my friend so I needed to give him the benefit of the doubt.I stared at my phone for a long moment before making the call, my thumb hovering over his contact. This was a gamble, if he was dirty, I might be tipping my hand. But if he was clean... I needed to know. Taking a steadying breath, I hit dial. He answered on the third ring. "Kaiden?"
KaidenThe note terrified me, I wouldn’t lie. I kept the smile on my face for the nurse’s benefits. I didn’t want them to be asking if I was okay and interrupting my peace.Those words, scrawled in jagged letters sent a chill down my spine that lingered long after I first read them. I had spent the night restless, checking the locks on the doors twice, then three times, before finally settling into a chair beside Sage’s hospital bed. He was still unconscious, his face bruised, his breathing steady but shallow. Whoever had done this to him had a message, and now it seemed that message was meant for me. I had no idea how to protect him or even protect myself. It felt like everything we did was a waste of time and we were heading nowhere.I didn’t bother sleeping again because I was so anxious. I was tempted to call the professor and explain to him but I knew he would drive down here the second I call him.By morning, Sage was stable, still asleep but no longer in danger. I made sure
Kaiden I stood next to the professor, watching the detective’s face shift between concern and indifference as he closed his notebook with a heavy sigh. “We’ll look into it,” the detective said. “But if you’re asking me for guarantees—” “I’m not,” I cut in, trying to keep my voice steady. “Just… do your job.” He gave me a nod that felt more like a dismissal. And then he walked off, disappearing into the murmuring noise of the precinct. When I called detective Raines, he said he had been assigned to a case and directed us to his partner in the precinct. We had to go there but it didn’t seem like it was working out for us. The professor hadn’t spoken since the detective left us. His arms were crossed tightly, jaw locked, his usual calm gone. He looked like a man barely holding himself together, and that scared me more than anything. He usually had answers. He always had a plan. But now? His phone rang. He glanced down, muttered something under his breath, and answered. “Hello?”