Part 12: The World Is Watching
It began with a glance.
Eli had gone out for groceries — alone — for the first time in days. Aaron had been gone. A late shift. No car in the driveway.
The cashier was young, harmless. He smiled too long. Stared too openly. Offered to help Eli bag the items even when there was no line.
Eli smiled politely. Said thank you. Left quickly.
He told Aaron that night, lying on the couch, his legs draped across Aaron's lap.
"I didn't like the way he looked at me."
Aaron didn't respond at first.
Then, slowly, he moved Eli's legs aside and stood.
"Where?" he asked.
Eli blinked. "The corner store."
Aaron didn't put on a shirt. Didn't say another word.
He was out the door in five seconds.
No one knew what Aaron said to the boy.
The store's cameras didn't have sound.
But afterward, the cashier avoided eye contact with everyone for days. The manager received an anonymous tip about "harassment." The store changed shifts. That boy wasn't seen again.
When Aaron came home, Eli was waiting by the door.
He didn't ask what happened.
He just leaned up, kissed Aaron's jaw, and whispered, "Thank you."
---
Next week, a knock came.
A sharp, familiar rap on the front door one humid afternoon.
Eli answered it.
He wore one of Aaron's long button-downs, loosely buttoned, sleeves rolled high. Nothing underneath. The hem teased the tops of his thighs. His hair was half-dry from the shower, soft and clinging to his temples. His skin still held the warmth of being touched.
The woman on the porch froze when she saw him.
Mrs. Kellner. Across-the-street watchdog.
Aged kindly. Eyes like scalpels.
"…Eli?" she said, blinking.
Eli smiled faintly. "Hello."
"I… I haven't seen Mia around," she said, eyes narrowing slightly. "Everything alright? You two were… dating, weren't you?"
Eli nodded slowly. "We were."
Mrs. Kellner blinked again. "Oh."
A silence.
Her eyes flicked down to the way Eli stood in the doorway — barefoot, collarbone exposed, legs bare, the deep V of the shirt hinting at things unspoken.
"…Is she staying somewhere else?" she asked carefully.
"She moved out a while ago," Eli said, voice soft and polite. "It's just us now."
Us.
Right on cue, Aaron stepped into view.
He was shirtless. Damp from the gym, hair tousled. He came up behind Eli — not too fast, not dramatic. Just… there. Present. Larger. Radiating heat.
He didn't say anything.
He placed a firm hand on Eli's hip.
Just rested it there.
Possessive. Casual. Undeniable.
Mrs. Kellner's mouth parted just slightly.
Then she shut it.
Eli didn't step away. He leaned back — subtly, gently — into Aaron's touch. Not a flinch. Not even a blush. As if it were natural. As if he'd always belonged there.
The message was clear.
It was no longer Mia's boyfriend who lived here.
It was Aaron's.
"…Well," Mrs. Kellner said tightly. "That clears that up."
"Have a good day, ma'am," Eli said.
The door closed before she could reply.
---
Aaron didn't say anything at first.
He just stood behind Eli, hand still resting on his side.
Then: "You think she'll talk?"
Eli shrugged. "Would it matter?"
Aaron turned him, gripped his chin.
"No," he said. "It wouldn't."
Then he kissed him.
Hard.
---
Later that evening, Eli curled up beside Aaron on the couch.
Bare legs over his lap. Head on his shoulder.
TV played in the background, but Aaron's eyes never left the boy beside him. One hand traced lazy circles on the soft skin of Eli's thigh. Possessive. Calm. Focused.
"I should go out tomorrow," Eli murmured. "Pick up groceries."
"No."
Eli smiled. "Jealous already?"
Aaron didn't smile back. "No one looks at you."
"You can't stop them," Eli said softly.
"I can stop you from going."
That silenced them both.
For a moment.
Then Eli whispered:
"Maybe I like being kept."
Aaron gripped his thigh tighter.
"I like keeping you."
---
That night, he took him slow.
No rush. No words. Just the sound of skin on skin, breath on breath.
Eli clung to him. Opened to him.
And Aaron whispered it again:
"You're mine."
Eli smiled in the dark.
"I always have been."
---
[To Be Continued — In Part 13: An old friend of Mia's reaches out, asking questions. Rumors begin. Aaron's possessiveness twists into full control. And Eli… begins fading into his role as something beautiful, delicate, and untouchable.]