The Deep End

Tangled Waters

The days dragged on, but Leehan couldn't escape the feeling that something was changing. Something inside him that he couldn't control. Taesan's presence was like a constant, suffocating weight. It wasn't just the bullying anymore. It was more than that.

Every glance, every taunt, every touch made Leehan's heart race in ways he hated. He wanted to resist. Wanted to push Taesan away, but the more he tried, the deeper he was pulled in.

"Hey, babe," Taesan's voice sliced through Leehan's thoughts like a knife. Leehan turned sharply, his heart pounding in his chest.

"Stop calling me that," Leehan snapped, though his voice lacked the conviction he wished it had. He was getting tired of this, tired of playing the part of the indifferent, untouchable victim.

Taesan was standing just a few feet away, leaning casually against a wall, arms crossed over his chest. "What's the matter, love?" he asked, eyes gleaming with that same predatory amusement. "You don't like it when I remind you how much I've got you wrapped around my finger?"

Leehan clenched his jaw, irritation bubbling up inside him. "I'm not wrapped around anyone's finger."

Taesan took a step forward, his smirk never wavering. "You don't have to admit it, but we both know the truth. You're drawn to me. You're just too proud to admit it."

The words hit Leehan harder than he wanted to admit. He opened his mouth to retort, but nothing came out. He couldn't argue with that. There was a part of him—no matter how much he hated it—that was drawn to Taesan. He didn't know why, but the more Taesan pushed him, the more confused and conflicted he became.

"I'm not like you, Taesan," Leehan finally said, his voice barely a whisper. "I don't need people like you in my life."

"Is that so?" Taesan's voice was low now, a dangerous edge creeping into it. "Because you're here, aren't you? Still standing in front of me. Still letting me get under your skin."

Leehan opened his mouth, but Taesan wasn't done. "You think I don't see it?" he continued. "The way you look at me when you think I'm not looking. The way your heart races when I touch you. You're not fooling anyone, love."

The words sent a jolt of panic through Leehan, and his breath caught in his throat. I'm not fooling anyone... The thought echoed in his mind, and suddenly, the walls he'd worked so hard to build around his emotions felt like they were crumbling.

"I don't want this," Leehan said, his voice shaky now. "I don't want you in my life."

Taesan stepped closer, closing the gap between them with unnerving ease. He wasn't afraid of Leehan's words. He never had been. "Too bad," he murmured, his voice almost tender now, a contrast to the usual taunting tone. "You don't get to choose, babe. Not when I've already decided that you're mine."

The word hit like a punch to the gut, and for a split second, Leehan couldn't breathe. He staggered back, instinctively putting space between them. "I'm not yours," he hissed, the words sharp like glass. "Stop saying that."

But Taesan wasn't deterred. "You will be," he replied, voice low and confident. "Sooner or later, you'll realize it too."

Leehan felt his chest tighten as if the air itself was being sucked from his lungs. He was trembling, both from anger and fear. Fear of what Taesan might do next. Fear of how deep this thing between them was getting.

"I'm not... I'm not some game for you," Leehan stammered, but even as he said the words, he wasn't sure he believed them anymore. His own body betrayed him, reacting to Taesan's proximity in ways that made him sick to his stomach.

Taesan tilted his head, eyes narrowing slightly. "That's where you're wrong, love. You're not a game. You're everything.You're my everything'"

Leehan's heart skipped a beat, and a chill ran down his spine. Taesan's gaze was intense, piercing, as if he could see right through him. As if he could see the fear, the confusion, the longing—a longing that Leehan couldn't deny anymore.

For a moment, there was silence. Leehan tried to steady his breath, but it felt impossible. His mind was racing, a whirlwind of conflicting emotions. He wanted to scream. To push Taesan away. But he couldn't. Not when every part of him wanted to stay. Not when he wanted to give in to whatever this was.

"You want me, don't you?" Taesan's voice was almost a whisper now, his eyes fixed on Leehan like he was a puzzle that Taesan was determined to solve.

Leehan swallowed hard, his throat dry. He wanted to deny it. Wanted to scream at him to leave. But when he opened his mouth, no words came out.

Taesan's smirk deepened. "That's what I thought."

Leehan's hands were shaking, and he could feel the heat rising in his cheeks. This was wrong. Everything about this was wrong. Taesan was his bully. His tormentor. He should hate him. He did hate him.

But there was a part of him, a small, vulnerable part, that didn't. And that terrified him.

Without another word, Leehan turned sharply and walked away, trying to escape the storm of emotions swirling inside him. He couldn't deal with this. Not today. Not now.

But even as he walked away, Taesan's words echoed in his mind: You're mine.

And Leehan knew that the deeper he got into this, the harder it would be to get out.