Ethan stood in the training room of the base, tossing a small ball up and down in his hand, his mind wandering far from the exercises Asher had planned for them. He should have been focusing on the mission briefing coming later that day, but instead, his thoughts kept drifting back to the morning—to Zane barking at Rascal and the way the apartment had somehow become a strange mix of chaos and comfort.
Focus, Ethan told himself, catching the ball and gripping it tightly. He glanced around the room. Asher was busy with some equipment on the far side of the room, making adjustments to the training dummies. Jonah, however, was pacing nearby, throwing sly glances in Ethan's direction, his mouth twitching with barely contained laughter.
It was only a matter of time before Jonah broke the silence.
"So…" Jonah finally spoke, his voice dripping with mischief as he walked over to Ethan. “You sleep okay last night?”
Ethan shot him a warning look. “Don’t.”
“What?” Jonah asked, holding his hands up innocently, but the smirk on his face gave him away. “I’m just concerned, that’s all. You look… well-rested. Very relaxed.”
“Jonah, seriously,” Ethan muttered, tossing the ball harder against the wall. “Not here.”
But Jonah wasn’t about to let it go. “I’m just saying, man, you don’t get that kind of glow from just sleeping alone. Must’ve been some night.”
Ethan sighed, his ears turning red as he caught the ball again. “You’re a pain, you know that?”
“I’m just here to support my friend,” Jonah said, his smirk widening as he leaned closer. “How was it? You know, sharing the bed with—”
“Jonah!” Ethan hissed, his eyes darting to Asher, who was still across the room, seemingly oblivious. He lowered his voice, glaring at Jonah. “If you don’t stop, I swear—”
“Hey, what are you two whispering about over there?” Asher called out, his voice curious as he walked toward them. He was wiping his hands on a rag, his brow furrowed slightly. “What’s going on?”
Ethan froze, throwing a quick glance at Jonah, who was doing his best to hold back laughter. “Nothing! We’re just, uh… talking about training.”
Jonah, ever the troublemaker, couldn’t resist adding, “Yeah, you know, Ethan’s been getting some extra training in lately. I think it’s really improving his stamina.”
Ethan groaned inwardly, glaring daggers at Jonah as Asher raised an eyebrow, clearly confused.
“Extra training?” Asher asked, crossing his arms. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
Ethan fumbled for an answer, but Jonah jumped in, his grin practically splitting his face. “Oh, you know, just some late-night workouts. The kind that really wear you out.”
Asher blinked, looking between them with suspicion. “Late-night workouts? Since when?”
Ethan shot Jonah a shut-up-before-I-kill-you look and forced a laugh. “It’s nothing, Asher. Jonah’s just messing around, as usual.”
But Asher wasn’t satisfied. He studied Ethan for a long moment, then his eyes narrowed. “Wait… why do I feel like I’m missing something?”
Jonah was practically vibrating with glee now, and before Ethan could stop him, he said, “Oh, you’re missing something, alright. Something big.”
Ethan’s face burned with embarrassment as Asher’s curiosity deepened. “Alright, spill. What’s going on?”
Ethan groaned, running a hand through his hair. “There’s nothing to spill, Asher.”
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...
