Chapter 3 Whispers In the dark

Jaden's phone buzzed at 11:43 p.m. He was half-asleep, shirtless on a creaky mattress, one arm draped over his forehead, moonlight slanting through the broken blinds. The screen lit up with a name that didn't belong in this part of town.

Elliot Pierce.

He hesitated before answering. "Hey."

Elliot's voice was low, frayed like he'd been thinking too much. "Did I wake you?"

"Not really," Jaden lied, voice gravelly. "Couldn't sleep."

"Neither could I."

There was a pause, long enough to feel like a confession. Then Elliot said, "Can I see you?"

Jaden sat up, the sheet falling off his torso. "Now?"

"I know it's late. I just... I don't want this to be a once-a-week thing. I want to talk. I want more."

Another pause. This time from Jaden.

He stood, moving to the window, looking out over the cracked concrete and flickering streetlights. "Where?"

"My place."

⸻

Twenty minutes later, Jaden stood in front of Elliot's penthouse again, this time with a backpack slung over one shoulder and tension coiled tight in his gut. The doorman didn't question him.

When Elliot opened the door, he looked different-like he'd peeled off the CEO mask. Soft pajama pants, a black T-shirt, hair slightly messy. He looked more him.

Jaden stepped in without a word. The city glowed behind the glass walls of the apartment, a thousand stories blinking in the distance.

"Sorry for the drama," Elliot said, rubbing the back of his neck.

"I like drama," Jaden said, dropping his bag. "As long as it's real."

They stood there in silence for a moment.

Then Elliot said quietly, "I couldn't stop thinking about the way you kissed me."

Jaden tilted his head, smile curling. "Yeah?"

Elliot nodded, taking a step forward. "It wasn't just physical. It felt... honest. Like you weren't pretending."

"I wasn't," Jaden said. "And that scares the shit out of me."

⸻

They sat on the floor of the living room, back against the couch, sipping tea Elliot had made. The lighting was low. Intimate.

"I never really came out," Elliot admitted after a while. "Not publicly. Not even to myself, if I'm honest."

Jaden raised a brow. "You're not out? At all?"

Elliot shook his head. "My parents are old money. Reputation matters more than truth. I grew up thinking I had to choose between love and respect."

Jaden's eyes softened. "And what about now?"

Elliot looked at him. "Now I think I'm tired of choosing."

The silence between them grew warmer. Jaden reached out, hand resting over Elliot's.

"You ever been with a guy before?" he asked.

Elliot shook his head.

Jaden's voice dropped. "Do you want to be?"

The air changed-thickened. Elliot didn't speak. He just nodded.

Jaden leaned in, his lips brushing the shell of Elliot's ear. "Then let me show you slow. No pressure. No pretending."

⸻

They kissed again-softer this time, mouths moving gently, like reading braille. Jaden's hands slid over Elliot's sides, under his shirt, fingers skimming warm skin.

Elliot groaned, low and uncertain, like he didn't know how to want this without shame.

Jaden pulled back, eyes burning into him. "Hey. Look at me."

Elliot opened his eyes.

"You're allowed to want this," Jaden whispered. "You're allowed to want me."

Elliot exhaled shakily. "I do. I really do."

Jaden straddled his lap, their bodies aligning perfectly. He guided Elliot's hands to his waist. "Then take your time. Explore."

Elliot's hands were shaky but eager, running along Jaden's hips, slipping under his T-shirt. He kissed down Jaden's throat, tasting skin, learning slowly. Every sound Jaden made-the little sighs, the breathless hums-sent shivers through him.

They didn't rush. They touched and kissed and tangled in each other for what felt like hours, their bodies moving together like a slow dance in the dark. Jaden led, Elliot followed. But it wasn't just lust-it was something blooming between fear and tenderness.

When Jaden finally lay beside him, shirtless and warm against Elliot's chest, he whispered, "You're better than you think."

Elliot kissed the top of his head. "So are you."

⸻

Sometime around 3 a.m., Jaden whispered, "You ever think about what it'd be like if we met in a different world?"

Elliot blinked. "What do you mean?"

"Like, if I wasn't... this. And you weren't hiding."

Elliot turned to him, brushing a finger across his cheek. "Then maybe I wouldn't have needed you to wake me up."

Jaden closed his eyes.

"Then again," Elliot added, voice a breath, "maybe I still would've fallen for you. One way or another."

Jaden didn't answer.

He just reached out and laced their fingers together-like maybe, just for tonight, he could believe in something more.