The bar’s dim lighting cast long, soft shadows, enveloping Zane and Ethan in a private world of their own. The low hum of background chatter faded into a distant murmur as they continued to talk. The intensity in their gazes was a stark contrast to the turmoil that had marked their recent encounters. It felt almost surreal to be sitting here, side by side, as if no time had passed at all.
Ethan couldn’t help but steal glances at Zane, noting the familiar sharpness of his jawline, the way his dark hair framed his face, and the subtle vulnerability in his eyes that he tried so hard to hide. It was a side of Zane that Ethan had always been drawn to—someone fierce yet quietly fragile.
“I never thought I’d see you again,” Ethan murmured, breaking the silence between them. His voice was hushed, almost afraid to disturb the fragile truce that seemed to exist in this moment. “But I’m glad you’re here.”
Zane’s lips twitched upward, a hint of a smile that was neither mocking nor distant. It was genuine, something Ethan hadn’t seen in a long time. “I didn’t think I’d be here either,” Zane admitted softly. “But seeing you like that… it reminded me of a lot of things.”
Ethan’s brow furrowed in confusion. “Like what?”
“Like how much you mean to me.” Zane’s voice was barely more than a whisper, but the words hit Ethan with a force that left him breathless. “I promised myself I wouldn’t get involved again, but—seeing you at your lowest made me realize I can’t keep pretending I don’t care.”
A warmth spread through Ethan’s chest, chasing away the cold, hollow feeling that had been lodged there ever since Callum’s death. He swallowed hard, struggling to find the right words. “Zane, I—”
“Don’t,” Zane interrupted gently, placing a hand on Ethan’s arm. The touch was light but sent a jolt through Ethan’s entire being. “You don’t have to say anything. Just… let’s be here. Right now. No more walls.”
Ethan nodded, unable to trust his voice. He leaned back slightly, letting the silence envelop them again. For once, it wasn’t the suffocating kind of silence that left him gasping for breath. It was comfortable, a space where he could just be.
They sat like that for a while, neither of them feeling the need to fill the air with words. Ethan could feel his heart beating in a strange rhythm—a mix of nerves and anticipation. He turned slightly, meeting Zane’s gaze, and something shifted between them. There was an unspoken question in Zane’s eyes, a silent plea for something more, something deeper.
Ethan hesitated, then reached out, placing his hand over Zane’s. The contact was tentative, almost hesitant, but Zane didn’t pull away. Instead, his fingers curled around Ethan’s, holding on as if he were anchoring himself.
“I’ve missed this,” Ethan confessed quietly, his thumb brushing against the back of Zane’s hand. “I’ve missed you.”
Zane’s expression softened, the guardedness in his eyes melting away. He let out a small, almost wistful chuckle. “You always did know how to get under my skin, didn’t you?”
Ethan’s lips twitched upward, the hint of a smile breaking through. “I like to think it’s one of my better qualities.”
“Maybe it is,” Zane murmured, his gaze flickering down to their intertwined hands before meeting Ethan’s eyes again. There was a tenderness there, one that Ethan hadn’t seen in a long time. “But Ethan… you need to know that this won’t be easy. Whatever this is, whatever we’re trying to rebuild—it’s going to take time.”
“I know,” Ethan said, his voice steady. “I’m not asking for everything to go back to the way it was. I just… I want us to find a way to be okay again.”
Zane’s gaze softened even further, and he lifted their hands, pressing his lips to the back of Ethan’s knuckles in a gesture that felt both reverent and bittersweet. “I want that too,” he whispered. “More than anything.”
The air between them seemed to crackle with unspoken emotions, a tension that was both electric and comforting. Ethan felt his chest tighten, but it wasn’t the suffocating sensation he’d grown used to. It was something new, something that made him feel alive.
“Can we try?” Ethan asked, his voice barely audible. “Can we try to find our way back?”
Zane looked at him for a long moment, something fierce and determined flashing in his eyes. Then, he nodded slowly. “Yeah. We can try.”
Ethan released a breath he hadn’t realized he’d been holding, a small, relieved smile curving his lips. He shifted closer, their knees brushing under the table. It was such a small thing, but it felt monumental.
“Come on,” Zane said softly, tugging on Ethan’s hand. “Let’s get out of here. There’s too much noise.”
Ethan followed Zane out of the bar, their fingers still entwined. The cool night air wrapped around them as they stepped onto the quiet street. For a moment, they just stood there, bathed in the soft glow of the streetlights, as if the rest of the world had faded away.
Zane glanced at him, a small smile playing on his lips. “Remember when we used to just walk around aimlessly, talking about nothing and everything?”
Ethan nodded, his heart swelling with the memory. “Yeah. We’d lose track of time and end up somewhere random, just… existing together.”
“Let’s do that,” Zane suggested, his voice barely more than a murmur. “Let’s just walk. No expectations, no pressure. Just us.”
They fell into step beside each other, their hands still linked as they wandered through the quiet streets. They didn’t need to talk; their presence was enough. Ethan could feel some of the weight lifting off his shoulders, the darkness that had clouded his mind dissipating ever so slightly.
As they walked, Ethan found himself leaning closer to Zane, drawn by an invisible force that seemed to pull them together. There was something so familiar and yet so new about being beside him like this, something that made Ethan’s chest tighten with a mix of longing and hope.
“Hey,” Zane said softly, glancing at him with a teasing smile. “Remember that time we got lost in the city and ended up at that old bookshop?”
Ethan laughed, a genuine sound that felt foreign after so much turmoil. “Yeah, and you insisted we buy that ancient poetry book even though neither of us knew what half the words meant.”
Zane chuckled, the sound warm and rich. “I still have it, you know. Kept it all this time.”
Ethan’s heart swelled at the confession, a soft smile curving his lips. “Why am I not surprised?”
“Because you know me,” Zane said quietly, his gaze turning serious. “You’ve always known me, Ethan.”
Ethan’s breath caught in his throat, his gaze locking with Zane’s. The intensity in Zane’s eyes was overwhelming, a mixture of emotions that seemed to reach out and wrap around Ethan’s very soul.
“And I always will,” Ethan whispered, the words a promise, a vow that he hoped Zane could feel as deeply as he did.
Zane’s grip tightened on his hand, his gaze never wavering. Then, slowly, he leaned in, his forehead resting against Ethan’s. It was a simple gesture, but it spoke volumes—a reconnection of something that had been fractured, a bridge to something new.
They stayed like that, eyes closed, breathing in each other’s presence. It wasn’t a grand reconciliation or an explosion of passion. It was quiet, understated, and undeniably real.
“Thank you,” Ethan murmured, his voice trembling slightly. “For being here. For not giving up on me.”
Zane’s lips brushed against his forehead in the softest of kisses. “I could never give up on you, Ethan. Not then, not now. We’ll figure this out. Together.”
Ethan’s heart felt like it might burst. He knew they still had a long way to go, but in this moment, with Zane by his side, he dared to hope.
For the first time in a long while, he felt like maybe—just maybe—things would be okay again.
YOU ARE READING
Chasing Shadows
Teen Fiction"Chasing Shadows" is a tale of darkness, obsession, and unexpected desire. Zane, a calculating villain with a vendetta against the city's beloved hero, Asher, finds his meticulously crafted world disrupted by an unexpected presence-Ethan, the hero's...
