Chapter 71:Second to None

Lucas clung to Dimitri, feeling the slow rhythm of his heartbeat beneath him. For a fleeting moment, the twisted comfort of their closeness dulled the jagged edges of his pain. Dimitri's arms encircled him tighter, possessive but deceptively tender. Lucas could feel Dimitri's breath on his hair, soft whispers of promises that seemed more like threats beneath their surface.

The silence that surrounded them was fragile, ready to shatter at the smallest disturbance. And then it did.

Lucas lifted his face slowly, his breath catching as he met Dimitri's gaze. His eyes, usually cold and calculating, softened for a second, revealing a crack in his facade. But that crack was fleeting, swallowed up as he tilted his head slightly, letting his lips brush against the side of Dimitri's neck—not to kiss, but to feel the pulse beneath the skin, that fragile thrum of life.

Dimitri's hand moved up, his fingers threading into Lucas's dark hair, pulling him closer, but Lucas pulled away just enough to stare at him—his face now completely dry, hauntingly close. The intimacy between them wrapped like a suffocating fog. Their bodies were inches apart, the heat between them simmering.

Lucas exhaled slowly, the warmth of his breath ghosting across Dimitri's skin. He could feel Dimitri's pulse quicken, and it sent a twisted sense of satisfaction through him.

He tilted his head, a smirk tugging at the corner of his lips as he studied Dimitri's face, searching for cracks in the controlled mask he wore so well.

"Do you feel it?" Lucas murmured, his voice low and dangerous, the words curling between them like smoke. "Your heart racing." His fingers hovered just above Dimitri's chest, teasing the line between affection and threat.

Dimitri's grip in Lucas's hair tightened, a silent answer, though whether it was a challenge or a plea was unclear.

Dimitri's eyes flared, the flicker of jealousy beneath his cool exterior barely masked. The dried streaks on Lucas's face, remnants of tears shed not for him, but for Kane, ignited a jealous rage simmering just beneath the surface.

"You were thinking about him again, weren't you?" Dimitri's voice was a low growl, his fingers still tangled in Lucas's hair, pulling him closer. "Even when you're here with me, you're still his."

Lucas didn't flinch, his smirk widening into something cruel. He leaned in, his lips barely grazing Dimitri's, teasingly close but never making full contact. "Does it bother you?" Lucas whispered, his voice taunting. "That even when I'm in your arms, it's his name on my mind?"

The words cut through Dimitri, sharp as a blade. His hand moved from Lucas's hair to his throat, gripping it just hard enough to make Lucas's breath hitch. The touch wasn't tender anymore; it was possessive, dark. "I could make you forget him,just like how I had taken care of him for you," Dimitri whispered, his thumb brushing over Lucas's pulse in a mockery of tenderness. "Or I could remind you who you belong to right now."

Lucas's pulse thrummed against Dimitri's hand, but his eyes remained fixed on Dimitri, unafraid, unbroken. "You can try," Lucas breathed, leaning into the hold on his throat, his voice a challenge. "But you'll always be second to him."

Dimitri's grip tightened, his jaw clenching as the jealousy surged through him. For a moment, he considered letting his rage take control, making Lucas pay for every second he spent thinking about Kane. But instead, he forced himself to loosen his grip, his lips brushing against Lucas's ear in a fleeting, almost desperate whisper. "I won't be second forever."

Lucas tilted his head just slightly, his lips parting as if he were about to say something or maybe—just maybe—finally close the distance between them. Dimitri's breath hitched again, his heart pounding beneath Lucas's hands, anticipating the moment, the inevitable kiss that seemed to dangle like forbidden fruit between them.

But Lucas's smile twisted into something darker, and instead of meeting Dimitri's lips, he leaned closer to his ear, his voice a quiet hiss. "You will always be second."

Dimitri froze, his hold on Lucas faltering for the briefest second. The intensity of their closeness, the charged anticipation that had hung in the air like a live wire, shattered. Lucas pulled away, his smirk widening as he watched the flicker of hurt cross Dimitri's face, quickly masked by anger and frustration.

Lucas's eyes gleamed with satisfaction, his taunting game played to perfection. "Thank you for the reminder,"

Dimitri's hand shot out, grabbing Lucas by the chin, forcing their faces dangerously close. The playful glint in Lucas's eyes flickered. The grip was firm, commanding, not to harm, but to make a point.

"You can't keep pushing me away, tormenting me like this?" Dimitri's voice was a low growl, the heat between them suffocating. "Soon, you'll only think of me. Only me, Lucas."

Lucas's smirk wavered, but only slightly. He didn't pull away this time, letting Dimitri's fingers press into his skin. There was something alluring about Dimitri's growing desperation, the way he was beginning to unravel before him. He liked seeing people break, especially when it was Dimitri.

Dimitri's eyes softened for a brief moment, his grip on Lucas loosening slightly as his thumb brushed across Lucas's bottom lip. "You will be mine," Dimitri whispered, the words carrying a promise that sent a strange thrill through Lucas. "Soon, it won't matter who you think about now. I'll be all you crave."

Lucas stared at Dimitri, his pulse slowly beginning to quicken. The room was stifling, emotions and desires colliding violently, and yet Lucas remained outwardly calm despite the flustered wreck he was inside.

The flicker of desperation in Dimitri's eyes had returned, and Lucas could taste it—thick, intoxicating. He could feel the weight of Dimitri's longing, his need to possess, to be the one Lucas thought about in those dark, private moments. But it wasn't enough. Dimitri's desire, his obsession—it couldn't consume Lucas. Not fully.....Not yet.

Lucas leaned in again, his lips hovering just over Dimitri's, teasing him with the possibility of a kiss, but never delivering. "You'll try, Dimitri," Lucas whispered, his breath hot against Dimitri's skin. "You'll try and fail. Because no matter how tightly you hold me, I'll always slip through your fingers."

Dimitri's jaw clenched, his grip tightening again, the anger surfacing once more. His eyes flared with that familiar jealousy, the rage of knowing he was always chasing shadows in Lucas's mind, never able to fully claim him. But this time, instead of breaking, Dimitri's lips twitched into a small, dark smile.

"We'll see about that," Dimitri said softly, his voice dangerously low. He pulled Lucas closer, his lips brushing against the shell of Lucas's ear as he whispered, "You might enjoy watching me unravel, but you forget—I know how to break you, too."

Lucas's smirk faltered, but only for a second. Then he chuckled, dark and amused, his eyes gleaming with a mix of cruelty and delight. "Is that a threat?" he asked, his voice dripping with mockery.

Dimitri pulled back just enough to look him in the eyes, his expression unreadable. "It's a promise," he whispered.

For a moment, Lucas let himself sink into the warm feeling that was bubbling again in his chest, feeling the raw heat of it, the intensity. But just as quickly, he pulled back, licking his lips slowly as he whispered, "Then you'd better be ready for the consequences."

As Lucas and Dimitri teetered on the edge of intimacy, the fragile moment shattered like glass, the door to the hospital room swinging open with a creak that echoed ominously in the stillness. Mr. Morton stepped inside, his presence a jarring contrast to the tender chaos within. The bouquet of flowers he held was vibrant and fresh, yet the sight of the two boys entwined shattered the serenity of the moment.

His eyes widened, disbelief morphing into anger as he registered the closeness of Lucas and Dimitri. For a man who had spent his life controlling his surroundings, this scene sparked a fury that coursed through him like wildfire. The bouquet slipped from his grasp, the flowers tumbling to the floor in a cascade of color, petals scattering like shattered hopes.

"What the hell is going on here?" Mr. Morton's voice was a deep, guttural growl, laced with disgust. His gaze flicked between the boys, landing on Lucas with an intensity that made Lucas's roll his eyes.

Dimitri's expression hardened, a protective wall slamming down over the vulnerability he had just shared with Lucas at the intensity of the man's stare. "This isn't your concern, Morton," he snapped, a dangerous edge to his tone that belied the simmering tension.

Lucas felt a thrill at the sudden shift in the atmosphere around Dimitri, relishing the chaos that swirled around them.

"I'll decide what's my concern,young man" Mr. Morton retorted, stepping forward. The anger etched on his face twisted into something darker as he leveled his gaze at Lucas, a blend of contempt and an unsettling hunger. "What do you think you're doing, Lucas? Acting like some... pathetic child with no sense of decorum?"

Lucas moved reluctantly out of Dimitri embrace, facing Mr. Morton with a smirk. "Just trying to find a bit of comfort in this hellhole," he replied coolly, leaning slightly against the wall, feigning nonchalance unaware of Dimitri's growing murderous rage at them being interrupted by Mr.Morton.

Mr. Morton's eyes narrowed, his lips curling in a disdainful sneer. "You should be ashamed of yourself," he spat, voice dripping with homophobic venom, "getting cozy with that boy when you could be finding some proper—" he faltered, searching for the right word, "companionship." His expression darkened, the undertones of his desires swirling beneath the surface.

Dimitri finally moved up off the bed and took a step forward, fury radiating off him like heat from a flame. "Don't you dare speak to him like that," he hissed, body taut with rage, his protective instincts flaring up against Mr. Morton's predatory gaze.

"Why? Because it's the truth?" Mr. Morton countered, a sickening satisfaction twisting his features as he took a step closer, eyes fixated on Lucas. "Do you truly believe I do not know what you are? No wonder your parents are never around.You're just another lost boy, desperate for the attention of from my son."

The room felt suffocating, a thick tension thrumming in the air. Lucas's heart raced, exhilaration coursing through him as he relished the clash of wills. He met Mr. Morton's gaze unflinchingly, feeling the weight of the older man's predatory stare.

"Do you really want to play this game?" Lucas challenged, his voice dripping with mock innocence. "Because I can assure you, I play for keeps."

Dimitri shifted his hand going in his pocket as if he had some type of weapon hidden, bracing himself beside Lucas, an unspoken alliance forged in the heat of the moment.

Mr. Morton's eyes flicked between the two boys, the discomfort etched on his face. He was losing control, and it made him dangerous. But beneath that surface rage lay a twisted sort of desire, a hunger that clawed at him.

"I'll be back," he warned, the words laden with threat"And when I return there will be hell to pay." He turned on his heel, exiting the room with an air of indignation, the remnants of the shattered bouquet trampled beneath his feet.

___

The door slammed shut behind Mr. Morton, leaving an echo in the room that seemed to linger, vibrating with the residual tension. For a moment, neither Lucas nor Dimitri moved. The storm had passed, but the atmosphere was still charged with electricity, like the air after a lightning strike.

Lucas let out a small, amused chuckle, the sound low in his throat. "Well, that was unexpected," he said, his voice dripping with mockery, the smirk returning to his face. He straightened from where he had been leaning against the wall, his eyes gleaming with something dangerous. "He really knows how to ruin a moment, doesn't he?"

Dimitri, however, wasn't laughing. His eyes were still fixed on the door, his body coiled tight like a spring. The rage that had flared up when Mr. Morton insulted Lucas hadn't fully dissipated. If anything, it simmered just beneath the surface, waiting for an outlet and Dimitri vowed to remember the man.

"He had no right," Dimitri muttered, his voice low and trembling with barely restrained fury. He turned to Lucas, his hand still hovering in his pocket as if itching to grab something sharp, something that could end Morton. "No one talks to you like that."

Lucas tilted his head, studying Dimitri for a moment, his amusement shifting into something more thoughtful. "I can handle him." he said softly, his tone suddenly serious.

Dimitri's hand finally moved away from his pocket, his fingers twitching slightly as if they missed the comfort of holding a weapon.

"Speaking of... how's Ryan doing?" Lucas asked, his voice casual but laced with something far more malicious beneath the surface.

Dimitri stiffened at the mention of the man who was brought in as well due to Kane's abuse. His jaw tightened, and for a split second, a flare of jealousy crossed his face, barely concealed beneath the composed mask he tried to maintain. "Why do you care?" Dimitri's voice was tight, almost bitter.

Lucas smiled wider, his blue eyes sparkling with something unreadable. "Just curious," he said, dragging out the words with deliberate slowness. "I've been meaning to check in on him."

Dimitri's hand twitched at his side, his gaze narrowing, but then after scrutinizing Lucas sinister smiling he sighed, his frustration melting into resignation. "He's next door," he muttered, his voice betraying his jealousy. "If that's really where you want to go."

Lucas's smirk deepened, the psychotic gleam returning to his expression. He enjoyed seeing Dimitri struggle with his emotions, the jealousy bubbling just beneath the surface, threatening to spill over. "You don't have to sound so upset," Lucas teased, coming off the hospital bed to step closer to Dimitri. "I'm just curious, after all."

Dimitri's eyes darkened, his lips pressing into a thin line, but he didn't respond, simply staring back at Lucas with a mix of anger, desire, and something far more dangerous swirling in his gaze.

Lucas leaned in close, his breath brushing against Dimitri's ear, his voice a low whisper. "Besides, we both know you're more fun to play with." He pulled back, giving Dimitri one last taunting smile before turning toward the door, leaving behind a trail of tension that hung thick in the air between them.