Crossing the line

The night seemed to stretch on endlessly, the city lights flickering in the distance, their cold glow reflecting off the wet pavement. Damian's chest tightened with every breath he took, the air around him thick with the weight of the silence between him and Alex. His mind was a whirlwind of conflicting thoughts, trying to make sense of everything that had just happened, trying to decide whether or not it was too late to take it all back. But the truth was, Damian wasn't sure what he wanted anymore. He only knew that the kiss, the way Alex had held him, felt more real than anything he'd experienced in a long time. And that scared him.

Alex stood there, just a few feet away, eyes locked on Damian's, waiting for something—anything—from him. His gaze was steady, unwavering, like he was waiting for the world to change in the quiet moment they were sharing. The space between them felt charged with tension, like something was about to break, and yet, Damian didn't know if he could handle it. He didn't know if he could handle this.

"You don't get it," Damian muttered, his voice rough with frustration. He ran a hand through his hair, his fingers trembling slightly. He wanted to be angry, wanted to lash out and tell Alex everything that had been building up inside him for years—about the fear, the confusion, the uncertainty. But the words felt wrong. The anger didn't feel right. Nothing felt right anymore.

Alex didn't flinch, didn't step back. He stayed where he was, just watching Damian, waiting. "I don't get it?" he repeated softly, his voice tinged with disbelief. "Damian, you think I don't know what's going on in your head? I know you. I know how hard this is for you."

Damian bit his lip, turning away for a moment to compose himself. His hands were shaking now, and the weight of Alex's words was heavy in the pit of his stomach. The worst part was, Alex was right. He did know. Alex had always known. He'd seen the cracks in Damian's carefully constructed walls, had noticed the way he flinched when their hands brushed, the way his breath caught when they were too close. And still, Alex had kissed him.

But why? Why now? Damian's chest ached, and he had to fight the urge to back away, to pull himself together. But there was something in Alex's gaze, something soft and unspoken, that made him hesitate. He didn't want to be afraid of this. He didn't want to keep hiding.

Alex stepped forward, just a fraction, his expression softening. "I didn't mean for things to get so... complicated," he said, his voice quieter now, tinged with vulnerability. "I just... I just wanted to know if you felt the same. If this—if we—could be something real."

Damian's throat constricted, and he swallowed hard. His heart raced, his mind a mess of emotions he couldn't untangle. He wanted to push Alex away, to tell him this was a mistake, but the words wouldn't come. Instead, he found himself taking a step closer to him, his feet moving before his brain could catch up.

"You really think it's that easy?" Damian asked, his voice low, but there was a quiver in it that betrayed the calm he was trying to project. "You think we can just... be together? Like everything else just goes away?"

Alex didn't back down. He didn't step back. He just looked at Damian, his gaze unwavering. "No. I know it's not easy. I know it's not simple. But I also know I'm not going to just walk away. Not this time." His voice was fierce, a fire that burned in the depths of his eyes.

Damian's chest tightened again, the words hitting him like a physical blow. He wanted to argue, wanted to tell Alex that it couldn't be this simple, that everything was too complicated for them to figure out. But the truth was, he wasn't sure anymore.

Alex's gaze softened, and there was something in his eyes—something vulnerable—that made Damian feel like maybe, just maybe, he wasn't alone in all of this. Maybe Alex wasn't just messing with him. Maybe he wasn't going to disappear when things got too messy.

"I don't know what you want from me, Alex," Damian whispered, his voice barely audible over the hum of the city. "I don't know how to make sense of all of this."

Alex's hand brushed against Damian's arm, the touch light but enough to send a shiver through him. "You don't have to make sense of it. Just—" He stopped, his voice softening, "Just stop pushing me away. I'm here. I'm not going anywhere."

Damian felt the weight of his words in his chest. I'm not going anywhere. It was so simple, so fucking simple. But that was the problem, wasn't it? Things couldn't be that simple. Nothing ever was.

But maybe, just maybe, Damian didn't need it to be complicated. Maybe he didn't need to have all the answers. Maybe, for once, he could just... let it happen.

He met Alex's gaze, his heart pounding in his chest, his thoughts swirling like a storm. His hand reached up almost of its own accord, his fingers brushing against Alex's cheek, hesitant at first. But Alex didn't move away. Instead, he leaned into the touch, his eyes closing for a brief moment.

And when Alex opened his eyes again, there was something in them that made Damian's breath catch. A question. A challenge. And maybe... maybe something more.

Damian leaned forward, his pulse racing as he closed the distance between them. He kissed Alex again, this time with none of the hesitation that had marked the first. It wasn't gentle. It wasn't perfect. But it was real. And for the first time in a long time, Damian didn't want to run.

This was happening. And for once, maybe that wasn't such a bad thing.