Beneath the Shadows

The Aftermath

The days following the night at the party were strange for Beam. He couldn’t quite put his finger on it, but something about that night with Forth had lingered in his mind, like a song stuck in your head long after the music had stopped playing. The intensity of it, the way their bodies had responded to each other, was unexpected. Beam wasn’t the type to get sentimental about a one-night stand. In fact, he prided himself on the fact that he could have a good time, walk away, and never look back. But with Forth, it was different. The silence that followed their encounter wasn’t comfortable. It was... unsettling.

Beam didn’t see Forth for the next few days. Every time he thought about texting him, he stopped himself. He told himself it didn’t matter. Forth was just another guy, another conquest to add to the long list of faces that he’d forgotten. He wasn’t about to fall into some kind of emotional mess. He didn’t need anyone else to complicate his life.

But then, on the fourth day after the party, as Beam was walking across campus, he saw him. Forth was standing by the entrance of the engineering building, surrounded by his usual group of friends, including Park and Lam. His expression was as unreadable as ever, but Beam couldn’t help but notice the way Forth’s eyes seemed to search the crowd, his gaze skimming over everyone before it landed on Beam.

The brief moment of eye contact sent a strange shiver down Beam’s spine. It wasn’t the usual kind of look Beam was used to. It wasn’t the flirtatious glance of someone interested in having a good time. No, this was different. This was something deeper, something that caught Beam off guard.

Without thinking, Beam started walking in Forth’s direction. His feet moved on their own, despite the voice in his head that told him to turn around and keep walking. He couldn’t explain it, but the pull was undeniable.

“Hey,” Beam called out as he approached, a slight smirk tugging at his lips, trying to act casual. “You’re not going to ignore me forever, are you?”

Forth’s eyes flickered with recognition, and for a moment, there was hesitation in his gaze. But then he raised an eyebrow and took a slow step toward Beam.

“I wasn’t planning on it,” Forth said, his voice low, carrying a hint of something like amusement—or maybe it was challenge. Beam couldn’t tell. “I just wasn’t sure if I was supposed to pretend like nothing happened.”

Beam shrugged, leaning casually against the nearby railing. “Why pretend? We both know what happened. It was... just a night. Doesn’t have to mean anything.”

Forth’s lips curled into a tight smile, but there was something in his eyes that made Beam pause. For a second, Beam felt like Forth was seeing straight through him, like he knew more than he let on. It made Beam uncomfortable, but he refused to let that discomfort show.

“Just a night, huh?” Forth repeated, his gaze still sharp. “Is that what you’re telling yourself?”

Beam forced a chuckle, trying to deflect the unexpected intensity of the moment. “Yeah, why not? It’s what I do. It’s what we both do, right?”

Forth didn’t respond immediately. He simply looked at Beam, his expression unreadable. And for a moment, the world seemed to stop, the chatter of students passing by fading into the background. Beam could feel the weight of the silence between them, a tension that neither of them had acknowledged but that neither could deny.

Finally, Forth spoke. “You’re right. It doesn’t have to mean anything.” He took a step back, his posture shifting from confrontation to something more neutral. “But I’m not used to people walking away without a second glance.”

That comment hit Beam harder than he expected. He had always been the one to walk away, the one who controlled the situation. He’d always been able to turn off his feelings and keep things casual, but Forth wasn’t like everyone else. Forth wasn’t playing by the same rules.

“I didn’t walk away,” Beam said, trying to sound nonchalant, though his heart was racing. “I just didn’t expect us to... make it a thing.”

Forth’s lips quirked into a faint smile. “We don’t have to make it a thing. But I’m not going to pretend that it didn’t happen. And I’m not going to pretend I don’t have questions.”

“Questions?” Beam raised an eyebrow, intrigued despite himself. “Like what?”

Forth glanced around briefly, as if ensuring no one was listening. “Like why you act like you don’t care. Like why you’re so damn good at pretending everything is easy for you.”

Beam’s breath caught in his throat. For a second, he felt exposed, like Forth had peeled back a layer he wasn’t ready to show. He had worked so hard to maintain this image, to be the carefree guy who could never be tied down, but Forth saw right through him.

He quickly masked his discomfort with a grin. “That’s none of your business, is it?”

Forth didn’t seem fazed by Beam’s attempt to brush him off. If anything, he seemed more intrigued, like Beam was a puzzle he wanted to solve.

“Maybe not,” Forth said quietly, his eyes narrowing slightly. “But if we’re going to keep running into each other, maybe it’s worth figuring out what this is—if there’s anything more to it than just a one-night thing.”

The words hung in the air, and Beam felt a strange unease wash over him. He wasn’t ready to dive into whatever this was. He wasn’t ready to acknowledge that maybe, just maybe, there was something more between them than he was willing to admit. But Forth wasn’t the type to let things slide, and Beam knew that this conversation wasn’t going to be the last.

Before Beam could respond, Forth turned and walked away, his friends trailing behind him, as if nothing had happened. But Beam’s heart was still racing. His mind was spinning with questions he didn’t have answers to, and the uncertainty of it all gnawed at him.

As the days passed, Beam found himself unable to stop thinking about Forth. It wasn’t just the fact that their one-night stand had left a lingering mark on him—it was the way Forth had challenged him, the way Forth seemed to see through the facade Beam had so carefully constructed. Beam hated the feeling of being vulnerable, and yet he couldn’t seem to shake the impression that Forth had somehow gotten under his skin.

It wasn’t long before their paths crossed again. This time, it was on the campus lawn, in the middle of a crowded afternoon. Beam was walking toward the student center when he spotted Forth sitting on a bench, alone, looking at something on his phone. The sight of him felt almost inevitable, like the universe was forcing them to confront whatever it was between them.

Without thinking, Beam approached, his steps almost mechanical. He stopped in front of the bench, looking down at Forth. For a moment, neither of them said anything. The tension was palpable, and Beam could feel his heart pounding in his chest. He didn’t know what he was hoping for, but something inside him told him he needed to say something.

“You like making things complicated, don’t you?” Beam said, his voice tinged with a hint of annoyance, though underneath it, there was something else. Something softer, something uncertain.

Forth looked up at him, meeting his gaze. “Maybe. Or maybe you like pretending things aren’t complicated when they are.”

Beam couldn’t help but chuckle, though it sounded bitter. “You’re not wrong, but I’m not sure I’m ready to dive into whatever this is.”

Forth didn’t respond immediately. He simply looked at Beam, his expression unreadable. And for the first time since their encounter, Beam felt the weight of Forth’s gaze—not as a challenge, but as something far more complicated.

Neither of them spoke again, but as Beam walked away, his mind was whirling with questions, with possibilities. He had always been in control, always been the one to decide when and where things would end. But with Forth, everything was different. And Beam wasn’t sure if that was something he was ready to face yet.

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Tbc