SHADOWS OF DECEIT

Chapter 26

Samuel stirred, his eyelids heavy with sleep, barely cracking open against the intrusive rays of sunlight slipping through the blinds. 

The room was thick with the evidence of last night—cloying scents of sweat, cum, and the sticky remnants of skin pressed against skin. He winced, the sharp contrast between the aching soreness of his body and the gentle warmth at his waist pulling him fully into the present.

A strong arm was wrapped around him, possessive yet tender, its weight anchoring him to the moment. His cheek rested against a firm, naked chest, his fingertips tracing absent patterns along the skin beneath them. 

For a fleeting second, Samuel allowed himself to sink into the warmth, his eyes fluttering shut. The world could wait, couldn't it? Just a little longer.

But it didn't. The memory of the message from Chan flickered into his consciousness like an unwelcome intruder. He recalled the urgency in Chan's tone, the summons to headquarters, and—most vividly—how he had left Joshua's apartment without so much as a word. 

His chest tightened at the thought, guilt gnawing at the edges of his resolve, though it was quickly overshadowed by the whirlwind of events that had followed.

_______

Hours earlier, Chan's text had come with more intensity than usual. He hadn't minced words, demanding Samuel's immediate presence. 

Samuel, though reluctant, had gone, his mind clouded with thoughts of Joshua and an unshakable sense of unease. When he arrived, he found Chan pacing the length of Woozi's workspace, frustration emanating from him in waves.

"They're getting bold," Chan had growled, tossing a folder onto the table. "Someone's been feeding me intel, and I need to know who. Now."

Samuel hesitated. Tracing informants was sure his forte, and the weight of Chan's request sat heavy on his shoulders. But how could he refuse? Not to Chan. Not to the boy he'd once dreamed of as his escape.

He sat, sifting through the coded messages and encrypted trails left behind, his fingers dancing over Woozi's intricate setup. Time ticked by the tension in the room thickening with each passing minute. And yet, for all his effort, Samuel found nothing.

"I can't crack it," he admitted finally, leaning back with a sigh of defeat.

Chan, ever the embodiment of Shadows' relentless drive, let out a frustrated noise. 

Samuel, familiar with that sound, recognized it as the precursor to a storm. Without a second thought, he stood, reaching for Chan's shoulder—a silent gesture of comfort.

That's when it happened. One moment, Chan was the cold, calculated Gem of the Shadows, and the next, he was pulling Samuel close, the space between them evaporating as their mouths collided.

The kiss was hard, desperate, and it left no room for hesitation. Samuel melted into it, the years of unresolved tension, buried longing, and fleeting touches all culminating in that one moment.

______

Now, lying in the aftermath, Samuel dared to glance at Chan. His features, so often hardened by responsibility and age beyond his years, were softened in sleep. 

In the quiet stillness, Chan looked like the boy Samuel had once fallen for—a younger version of himself, untouched by the weight of their shared history.

Samuel's chest tightened as the memories came rushing back. He'd been just a child when he met Chan, both of them caught in a world far too dark for their young hearts. Their bond had been forged in the crucible of survival, their innocence clinging to one another in the chaos.