Bossnoeul ff <Meant to be mine>

15- A sudden change

Atlas felt a wave of disgust at the reminder of Lhong. He had made sure that the man could never hurt Rayal again, and the thought of him still bringing fear into the boy's mind was infuriating.

"Don't mention that man's name," he said, his voice deadly quiet. "He's gone now, and he'll never hurt you again. And even if he wasn't, he's nothing compared to me. I'll destroy anyone who tries to hurt you, no matter what it takes."

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Rayal felt a sense of relief at Atlas's words, knowing that Lhong was truly gone and could not hurt him anymore. But there was something else in his tone that caught his attention, a hint of possessiveness and protectiveness that surprised and excited him at the same time.

Rayal looked up at Atlas, his heart racing in his chest. He felt a mix of emotions wash over him as he stared into the other man's eyes. There was something intense and passionate about the way he spoke, about the way he held him and touched him.

"Atlas," he whispered, his voice soft and tentative. "Can I ask you something?"

Atlas looked down at Rayal, his grip on the boy's waist loosening slightly. He could sense the change in the boy's tone and expression, and he wondered what was on his mind.

"Of course," he replied, his voice low and gentle. "You can ask me anything."

Rayal took a deep breath, his heart racing with newfound courage. He knew that what he was about to ask could change everything between them, and he was both excited and scared at the same time.

"I...I want to know..." he began, his voice low and hesitant. "Do you...do you care about me? Like, really care about me?"

Atlas's expression softened at Rayal's question, his eyes filling with tenderness and affection. He had never expected the boy to ask him something so vulnerable and sincere, and it made his heart swell with affection.

"Of course I care about you," he replied, his voice low and tender. "More than you could ever imagine."

Rayal felt a wave of relief and happiness wash over him at Atlas's words, his heart racing with joy and hope. He had never experienced such sincere and genuine affection from someone before, and he couldn't help but feel overwhelmed.

"Really?" he asked, his voice soft and vulnerable. "You really care about me............................... that much?"

Atlas nodded, his eyes never leaving Rayal's face. He could see the disbelief and vulnerability in the boy's expression, and he wanted nothing more than to prove to him just how much he cared.

"Yes, I do," he said, his voice firm and sincere. "I care about you more than anything in this world. I would protect you, care for you, cherish you, no matter what."

Rayal felt tears well up in his eyes at Atlas's words, his heart overflowing with emotion. He had never believed that anyone could care about him so deeply and sincerely, and it was almost overwhelming.

But as he looked into the other man's eyes, he knew that it was true. Atlas truly and genuinely cared about him, more than anyone he had ever known.

"I..." he whispered, his voice shaking. "I care about you too."

(not me forgetting who is atlas and who is rayal at this point lmao)

Atlas felt a wave of warmth and affection wash over him at Rayal's words, his heart swelling with love and tenderness. He had never expected the boy to admit his own feelings so openly and sincerely, and it only strengthened his own devotion and protectiveness towards him.