NO ESCAPE

"Just for a little while longer."

The next morning, the city was bathed in a muted golden light, but the safehouse remained cloaked in shadows. Bible stirred awake, the scent of leather and smoke still lingering faintly in the air. For a moment, he thought the events of the previous night had been a vivid dream. But then he turned his head and saw Jes, leaning casually against the wall, watching him with an intensity that made his pulse quicken.

Jes held a cup of coffee in one hand, his sharp features softened by the morning light. “Good morning,” he said, his voice smooth and unhurried. “Sleep well?”

Bible sat up, running a hand through his disheveled hair. “Better than I expected,” he admitted, his voice hoarse from sleep. He glanced at Jes, noting the man’s relaxed posture but guarded eyes. “Do you always watch people while they sleep, or am I just lucky?”

Jes smirked, taking a sip of his coffee. “Let’s call it curiosity. I was wondering if you’d try to run again.”

Bible’s lips quirked into a faint smile. “And what if I had?”

Jes set his cup down on the nearby table and stepped closer, his movements deliberate and measured. “Then I’d find you,” he said simply, his voice carrying an undercurrent of promise. “But something tells me you’re not ready to leave just yet.”

Bible’s gaze dropped, his chest tightening with a mix of frustration and something he couldn’t quite name. “Why do you do this?” he asked, his voice barely above a whisper. “Play these games with me?”

Jes crouched in front of him, his eyes searching Bible’s face. “It’s not a game,” he said, his voice uncharacteristically soft. “You’re different, Bible. You’re not like anyone I’ve met before. And that… scares me.”

Bible’s breath caught, the honesty in Jes’s words catching him off guard. For a moment, he saw something vulnerable in Jes’s eyes, something that mirrored the confusion he felt within himself.

“You don’t seem like the type to get scared,” Bible said, a faint smile tugging at his lips.

Jes chuckled, the sound low and warm. “You’d be surprised,” he admitted. He reached out, his fingers brushing against Bible’s cheek. The touch was light, hesitant, as if Jes was testing the boundaries between them. “But what scares me more is the thought of losing you.”

Bible’s heart raced, his defenses crumbling under the weight of Jes’s words. “You barely know me,” he murmured, though his voice lacked conviction.

Jes’s hand moved to cup Bible’s face, his thumb gently tracing his jawline. “I know enough,” he said, his voice steady. “Enough to see that you’re worth fighting for.”

The air between them grew thick with unspoken emotions. Bible’s hands clenched the blanket draped over his lap, his mind a whirlwind of thoughts. But one feeling stood out above the rest: a deep, undeniable pull toward Jes.

“You make it hard to think straight,” Bible admitted, his voice trembling slightly.

Jes smiled, his expression softening. “Good,” he said. “Maybe it’s time you stop thinking so much.”

Before Bible could respond, Jes leaned in, his lips brushing against Bible’s in a kiss that was slow and deliberate. Unlike the fiery passion of the night before, this kiss was tender, filled with a quiet intensity that left Bible breathless.

Bible’s hands hesitated before finding their way to Jes’s shoulders, pulling him closer. The world seemed to fade away, leaving only the two of them in the cocoon of the safehouse. When they finally broke apart, Jes rested his forehead against Bible’s, his breath warm against his skin.

“Stay,” Jes whispered, his voice almost pleading. “Just for a little while longer.”

Bible closed his eyes, the weight of Jes’s words settling over him. He knew this was dangerous, knew that staying meant stepping deeper into a world he wasn’t sure he could navigate. But for now, in this moment, he allowed himself to give in.

“Okay,” he said softly, his voice barely audible. “I’ll stay.”