Longing...

A week had passed since that accidental moment between Aiden and Lucian.

Since Lucian had landed on top of Aiden, pinning him to the ground in a way that neither of them could forget.

And ever since that day, Lucian had not spared Aiden a single glance. It was as if Aiden had suddenly ceased to exist in his world, as if he were nothing more than a passing shadow.

He ignored him even more than he used to-- those days when Aiden had just moved into their mansion.

Before, Lucian had been indifferent, dismissive even, but now, he had gone beyond that.

He had become cold.

Silent.

Unreachable.

He didn't look at Aiden, didn't acknowledge his presence in any way. If Aiden so much as entered the same room as him, Lucian would turn his back and walk away, as if he didn't even see him.

If their paths crossed in the hallways at school or during training, Lucian would pretend he wasn't even there.

He never gave Aiden extra classes anymore, if anything, he wanted to dismiss Aiden before everyone else.

And it was driving Aiden insane.

At first, he had tried to ignore it, tried to brush it off as just another one of Lucian's moods.

But no matter how much he tried, he couldn't shake the feeling that something had shifted between them, ever since that moment.

Something had changed.

He couldn't stop thinking about it, couldn't stop replaying that moment in his mind, Lucian's weight pressing down on him, the heat of his body, the way their breaths had mixed in the small space between them.

The way he had wanted Lucian to kiss him.

The way Lucian leaned in for a second like he was really going to kiss him, the intense look in Lucian's eyes.

It haunted him, refused to leave his thoughts.

And worst of all, it had awakened something inside him. Something like a haunting hormone, running round and round in his veins.

The past week had been nothing short of torment. He was restless, distracted, completely unfocused in everything he did.

He wanted the accident that happened to happen again. Ever since that accidental fall, something woke up in his body.

Every time he closed his eyes, all he saw was Lucian.

Every time he drifted into sleep, it was Lucian's body he felt, Lucian's touch he craved.

It was as if his body had developed a mind of its own, yearning for something he wasn't sure he should want.

He would wake up in the middle of the night, breathless, sweating, his heart pounding in his chest.

His hands would grip the sheets tightly, frustration burning through his veins because no matter how much he tried to will it away, the need wouldn't leave him.

He wanted Lucian to touch him. He wanted Lucian to be on top of him like he was that day. And when does- this time he should touch him more, kiss him without hesitation that he had that day.

That affected Aiden really much, Even when he was out with his friends, at parties, surrounded by music and laughter, his mind would wander back to Lucian.

Even in the middle of a crowded room, he felt alone. The clubs that had once been his happiness now felt suffocating.

The loud music, the flashing lights, the drinks, they did nothing to drown out the thoughts consuming his mind.

It wasn't supposed to be this way.

It was getting worse by the day, affecting everything- his focus, his behavior, his interactions with others.

The usual energy he had, the excitement, the endless words that he had always had-- it was gone.

His talkativeness had faded, and even when his friends tried to engage him, he barely responded. He wasn't himself anymore.

And people noticed.

First, it was his teammates. During drama club practice, he had snapped over something small, something he usually would have laughed off.

But that day, he couldn't control it. The frustration had boiled over, and before he knew it, he had walked out, slamming the door behind him.

By the next morning, he had quit the club entirely.

Even his teachers started to notice how distracted he had become. He had always struggled a bit academically because he was always involved in so many extracurriculars, but now, it was worse.

He couldn't concentrate.

Words blurred together in his textbooks, numbers made no sense, and every time he tried to study, his mind would betray him, dragging him back to Lucian.

And finally, it reached a point where even the late Alpha Noman noticed.

That night, as they sat around the dinner table, the tension was thick.

That night Aiden had tried to sit next to Lucian, desperate for some kind of closeness, but Lucian had stood up immediately and moved to another seat without a word.

That was the final blow.

Aiden barely touched his food after that, even though the rule in the house was that no one was allowed to leave their plate unfinished.

But eating was the last thing on his mind. His vision blurred slightly as he stared at the food in front of him, his appetite nonexistent.

Why was he feeling like that?!' He had wondered, 'And why was Lucian treating him like that when that day when they fell on each other-- he did get off him immediately, he looked at him like he was in for more, rather than just laying on top of him. He leaned in, it looked like he wanted to kiss him. Aiden's mind spiralled.

The late Alpha had noticed.

"Aiden, is something bothering you?"

The question cut through the heavy silence, causing a ripple of tension to Lucian more than to Aiden. Lucian's fork stopping mid-air, though he didn't say anything.

Aiden swallowed hard, his throat dry, his fingers clenching around the edge of the table. His vision blurred even more, but he forced himself to stay composed.

"No, am fine," he said, his voice coming out firmer than he expected, despite the emotions threatening to consume him.

The table fell completely silent again.

The late Alpha's brows furrowed, deep concern in his eyes, but he didn't push for an explanation.

Aiden knew that if he stayed there any longer, he wouldn't be able to hold himself together.

The weight of everything, the longing, the confusion, the frustration- was too much.

So he stood up, pushing his chair back carefully. His plate was empty now, but he barely remembered eating.

His voice was steady when he spoke, though his heart was anything but.

"Jackson," he called, using his full name for the first time, he usually made his name sound funny in evert way possible. And at that moment when he called like that for the first time, Jackson knew something was really wrong with him.

"I have some really disturbing algebra questions. Can you help me with them?" It was a lie. That was not the reason he wanted Jackson to go in his room. But Jackson didn't hesitate.

"Sure."

He stood up, following Aiden out of the dining room.

Lucian's grip tightened around his fork, his fingers curling into a fist, knuckles turning white as he watched them leave.