The apartment felt colder than it should. It was a stark contrast to the warmth of the city that buzzed just beyond the windows, but inside the room, everything was sharp. Rowan's every movement seemed to echo in the quiet, his footsteps soft against the polished floor as he crossed the threshold.
Lucian stood by the window, his back to Rowan. The glow of the city lights framed his figure, casting long shadows across the room. The air between them felt thick, too thick.
Rowan didn't speak at first. He didn't know what to say, didn't know what was expected of him at that moment. Lucian had made it clear from the start that he didn't need a Guide—he was an S-class Esper, after all. But here they were, in the same room, facing the mess of powers neither of them had control over.
Lucian finally turned, the fluidity of his movement causing Rowan's breath to catch. There was something predatory in the way Lucian's gaze locked onto his, like a wolf sizing up its prey—except in this case, Rowan didn't feel fear. He felt something else, something hotter.
"You think you can handle it?" Lucian's voice was low, a quiet challenge that vibrated in the air.
Rowan didn't answer immediately. His heart was beating harder than it should've been, but he wasn't going to show it. Not now, not in front of Lucian. He stepped forward, his boots barely making a sound on the floor. The air between them crackled.
Lucian's eyes didn't leave him, studying him like a riddle he was trying to solve. He took a step forward too, closing the distance between them with a single fluid motion.
Rowan's pulse quickened as Lucian's presence swallowed him. There was no denying it now—Lucian wasn't just a powerful Esper. He was a storm, a wild force of nature, and Rowan couldn't help but be drawn to it.
The room felt even smaller now, the space between them tight and almost unbearable. Rowan's body seemed to respond on its own, a tension creeping up his spine, his muscles coiling.
Lucian was close now—too close. The heat between them was almost tangible, his breath warm against Rowan's skin. Lucian reached out with one hand, his fingers brushing against Rowan's arm in a slow, deliberate motion.
The contact sent a jolt of something through Rowan, something that went beyond the physical. It was electric, thrilling, and dangerous. He barely had time to process it before Lucian was moving again, his hand trailing down the line of Rowan's arm, his touch sending shivers across his skin.
"Tell me you can handle it," Lucian murmured, his lips close to Rowan's ear. His voice was a dark whisper, a hint of desperation lingering in his tone, and Rowan caught every word.
Rowan inhaled sharply, his chest rising with the effort of keeping his composure. He wanted to pull away, to regain some space between them, but Lucian's presence was suffocating. There was nowhere to run.
He looked up, meeting Lucian's gaze. His voice was a bare whisper, barely audible, but full of defiance. "I'm not afraid of you."
Lucian didn't say anything at first, his eyes searching Rowan's face, studying him like he was trying to gauge every hidden layer, every emotion. The tension between them was palpable, thick enough to cut through.
Rowan could feel his heart pounding, the rhythmic beat like a warning. He wasn't afraid of Lucian, not in the way most people might be. But there was something else. Something deeper. Something that both terrified and excited him.
Lucian's lips parted, but it wasn't words that came out—it was a slow, deliberate motion, a shift in the air that only Lucian could bring. He moved again, his hand finding Rowan's waist, pulling him closer until their bodies were flush against each other. Rowan couldn't hide the way his body reacted to the closeness, his breath hitching in his throat. He wasn't prepared for this—the overwhelming presence of Lucian, the way his body seemed to invade every thought, every inch of Rowan's awareness.
Lucian's lips brushed against Rowan's jaw, just the lightest touch, but it sent a shockwave through Rowan's system. He could feel Lucian's breath on his skin, hot and steady, and something within him stirred. Something deep.
It was a slow burn, this pull between them. There was no rush, no need to hurry. Lucian was savoring the moment—savoring Rowan's reaction, Rowan's struggle to maintain control.
Rowan's mind screamed at him to step back, to push Lucian away. But his body? His body was betraying him. He didn't want to step back. Not now. Not when Lucian was this close.
The air between them was thick with tension. Every movement Lucian made seemed to heighten it, making Rowan feel like he was balancing on the edge of something dangerous. He could feel Lucian's heartbeat against his chest, could feel the steady pulse of his power, his presence, pressing in on him.
And yet, there was still that space between them—just the smallest sliver, the quiet tension that refused to be broken. Lucian's hand found its way to the back of Rowan's neck, his fingers curling in the hair at the nape, pulling him closer still.
Rowan didn't resist. He couldn't. There was something magnetic about Lucian's touch, something primal that urged him forward, that made him want to close the distance between them.
The room felt smaller now, their breath mingling, the air heavy with everything unsaid. Lucian's lips hovered just above Rowan's, the tension so thick it almost made Rowan dizzy. There was a moment—just a moment—where the world outside them seemed to stop, and all that mattered was the space between them.
Lucian's voice was barely a whisper as he spoke. "You don't know what you're getting into."
Rowan's heart thudded louder in his chest. He knew. He knew exactly what he was getting into. But that didn't stop him from being here, from standing in this moment.
"I know exactly what I'm getting into," Rowan breathed, his voice barely audible in the thick silence that had overtaken the room.
Lucian's gaze softened, just slightly, but enough to send a chill down Rowan's spine. Then, slowly, Lucian closed the final distance between them, his lips crashing against Rowan's in a kiss that was urgent, wild, and filled with everything they had been holding back.
Rowan's breath caught, the suddenness of the kiss both shocking and intoxicating. For a moment, his mind went blank, and all he could do was respond to the heat of Lucian's lips, the fervent pressure, the raw energy pulsing between them. Lucian's mouth moved over his, commanding, almost desperate. His hands slid down Rowan's sides, gripping the fabric of his shirt like he couldn't get close enough.
Rowan's fingers curled into Lucian's chest, nails scraping against his skin through the thin layer of fabric, feeling the heat of his body, the tension crackling between them. He wanted more, needed more. His own hands were already tracing the lines of Lucian's body, slipping beneath the collar of his shirt, wanting to feel the bare skin, to feel the thundering pulse of his heart beneath his fingertips.
Lucian groaned low, the sound vibrating against Rowan's lips. It only made Rowan want him more, hunger blooming in his chest. He pressed himself closer, desperate to close the last of the distance, to feel the full weight of Lucian against him. Every inch of him felt alive with the need that had been building for weeks, a need he had barely understood until now.
"Rowan," Lucian breathed against his lips, his eyes glazed over and voice thick with desire. "Tell me... tell me you want this."
Rowan's response was a low, breathless murmur, his body trembling under Lucian's touch. "I want this," he said, the words slipping out before he even realized they were there.
That was all the confirmation Lucian needed. His hands moved quickly, grasping Rowan's wrists and pinning them above his head with a surprising strength. Lucian's lips trailed down Rowan's jaw, then to his neck, teeth grazing over the sensitive skin. Rowan let out a sharp breath, his head falling back, a shudder running through his body.
The heat of Lucian's mouth on his skin sent a shock straight to his core, his pulse spiking, heart hammering in his chest. He wanted more—wanted everything. But the tension, the slow build of desire, it kept him hanging on the edge, like an unfinished sentence, like something just out of reach.
"Lucian," Rowan whispered, his voice tight.
Lucian chuckled darkly, his breath warm against Rowan's skin. His hands slid down Rowan's arms, his fingers curling around the hem of Rowan's shirt, pulling it up with deliberate slowness. Rowan didn't protest, lifting his arms to let Lucian undress him, the fabric sliding over his head, leaving his chest bare.
The air between them was thick with heat now, the weight of their unspoken desires pressing down on them like a physical force. Lucian's hands were everywhere—on Rowan's chest, his stomach, his sides—each touch sending sparks of fire through Rowan's veins. He was consumed, his breath ragged, heart pounding in his ears.
Rowan's hands moved to Lucian's shirt, tugging at it, impatient now, eager to feel his skin. Lucian let him, and within moments, they were both bare-chested, standing so close that the space between them felt like nothing. The feeling of their skin against each other was electrifying, their bodies slick with the shared heat of the moment.
Lucian's lips found Rowan's again, kissing him fiercely, almost violently now. Rowan kissed him back with equal force, their tongues tangling, fighting for dominance, giving and taking in a wild, heated rhythm. His hands explored Lucian's body, feeling the hard muscle beneath his skin, the heat radiating from him.
Rowan's own body responded eagerly, his back arching, pressing his chest against Lucian's. He felt the growing pressure in his lower abdomen, the ache that had been building since the moment Lucian had first looked at him with that dangerous, knowing gaze. It was almost too much, the way Lucian touched him, the way their bodies fit together, perfectly aligned, as though they were meant to be like this all along.
Lucian broke the kiss, trailing his lips down Rowan's neck again, his teeth grazing over the sensitive spot just below his ear. Rowan gasped, a shiver running down his spine. The pleasure was overwhelming, every inch of his skin hypersensitive to Lucian's touch.
Lucian's hand slid lower, his fingers brushing against Rowan's waist, then down to the band of his pants. The touch was light at first, teasing, making Rowan's breath hitch as his body tensed, aching for more.
The kiss that followed was deep, more intense than before, a savage hunger between them that neither of them could deny. Rowan was lost in it—lost in the heat, the need, the pure, raw chemistry that had been building between them for so long.
And still, they lingered there, the tension between them building like a crescendo, until it felt as if they could break apart at any moment, their desires finally unleashed in a rush that would consume them both.