The Deep End

Underwater Currents

Leehan's feet pounded against the pavement, the rhythm of his steps mirroring the panic building in his chest. He had no particular destination in mind—he just needed to get away. Get away from Taesan, from those suffocating words, from the unspoken tension that seemed to linger wherever he went. But as always, no matter how fast he ran, Taesan's presence haunted him.

"Running again, babe?" That voice. So damn smooth. So annoyingly familiar.

Leehan's body stiffened, and he cursed under his breath. He should have known. Turning slowly, he found Taesan leaning casually against a nearby streetlamp, hands in his pockets, that infuriating grin plastered across his face.

"Can't you just leave me alone?" Leehan spat, frustration rising within him. He was tired of this. Tired of being stalked, taunted, humiliated. Taesan had made it clear that he wasn't going to stop. But Leehan didn't know how much longer he could keep his cool.

Taesan pushed off the lamp post, his gaze never leaving Leehan as he closed the distance between them. "What's the matter, love? You can't handle a little attention?" His eyes glittered with something darker now, more predatory. "Because I'm not going anywhere. Not until you admit what I already know."

Leehan clenched his fists, the weight of his own words pressing down on him. "What do you think you know?" he asked through gritted teeth, trying to mask the uncertainty in his voice. He couldn't let Taesan see how much he was affecting him.

Taesan stopped just in front of him, his expression softening slightly, but his voice still laced with that dangerous confidence. "I know you're lying to yourself," he said, his voice low, almost coaxing. "You're scared, aren't you? Of me. Of what I make you feel."

Leehan's breath hitched, and for a split second, he was back in that suffocating space, that place where he couldn't breathe, couldn't escape. Water closing in around him. The panic rising in his chest, choking him.

He shut his eyes for a moment, pushing the memory away. "You don't know anything about me," he muttered, voice trembling slightly.

"I know you more than you think." Taesan's words were soft, almost like a caress, but it only made Leehan more uncomfortable. Taesan's gaze held him captive, like he could see right through the walls Leehan had spent so long building.

Leehan hated the way his heart raced. Hated the way his body reacted to Taesan's presence. He didn't want to feel this way. Didn't want to be affected by someone like Taesan. Someone who tormented him for sport.

But when Taesan reached out, his fingers brushing lightly against Leehan's arm, it was as if time stopped. The touch was electric, sending a jolt of heat through Leehan's body, and for a moment, he couldn't breathe. He recoiled instinctively, taking a step back, but Taesan only chuckled, the sound rich with amusement.

"You're so easy to mess with," Taesan said, his voice thick with satisfaction. "It's almost too much fun."

Leehan's pulse hammered in his ears, and his mind screamed at him to get away. But his feet felt like they were rooted to the ground. He wanted to fight back, wanted to tell Taesan to go to hell, but something about the way Taesan looked at him made him hesitate.

He could see it now, the spark of something dark in Taesan's eyes. Something predatory. Something that made him want to run, but at the same time, he couldn't tear himself away. It wasn't just fear that kept him there—it was something else. Something that twisted in his chest, something that felt like longing.

"No," Leehan said, his voice barely a whisper, more to himself than to Taesan. "I can't do this."

"You already are, love." Taesan's grin widened, as if he knew exactly what Leehan was thinking. "You're already tangled up in me. It's too late to back out now."

Leehan's mind spun, but his legs carried him away before he could fully process the weight of Taesan's words. He couldn't let himself be swayed, not by someone like Taesan. Not by someone who used people as playthings, someone who thrived on control.

But as he walked away, he couldn't shake the feeling that Taesan wasn't just messing with him. He wasn't just playing a game. He meant it. And that thought twisted something deep inside him, a knot of confusion and desire he couldn't untangle.

The rest of the day passed in a blur, and by the time Leehan returned home, he was exhausted, both physically and mentally. His mind replayed the conversation over and over. Every time he thought about it, the knot in his stomach tightened. He couldn't escape the feeling that, in some twisted way, Taesan was right. He was already tangled up in him.

But why? Why did it feel like there was more to it than just bullying? Why did Taesan's touch make his pulse race? Why couldn't he stop thinking about him?

Leehan lay in bed that night, staring at the ceiling, the weight of his thoughts pressing down on him. His mind was a warzone. Part of him hated Taesan with every fiber of his being, but another part of him—an unsettling part—craved the attention, craved the proximity. Taesan was dangerous, and yet... there was something magnetic about him.

He couldn't deny it anymore. There was something about Taesan that drew him in, no matter how hard he tried to fight it.

And as much as Leehan hated to admit it, he didn't think he was going to be able to escape from this. Not now. Not when Taesan had already gotten under his skin.