The car idled at the curb, sleek and predatory, its tinted windows swallowing the streetlight. Julian could feel Noah's pulse in the air beside him, sharp and jagged, even though Noah hadn't moved a muscle. His jaw was tight, his shoulders locked, but his fingers… his fingers twitched like he wanted to grab something. Or break something.
Julian didn't think. Couldn't.
He just reached out, slid his hand into Noah's, and tugged.
"Come on."
Noah blinked, startled, but followed without hesitation. The bags thudded against Julian's hip as he pulled Noah across the street, darting into a narrow side alley where the glow of the car couldn't reach. Their footsteps echoed off brick, their breaths puffing in the cool night air.
Only when the corner turned and the street was out of sight did Julian stop, chest rising and falling. He realized only then that he was still holding Noah's hand.
Their fingers tangled, warm, too natural.
Noah looked down at their joined hands, then back at Julian, a slow grin spreading across his lips. "Well, Jules," he said softly, "I didn't know you liked dragging me around."
Julian flushed, glaring to cover it. "Don't read into it."
"Too late." Noah's grin widened, teasing, but gentler than usual. His thumb brushed Julian's knuckles before he pulled back, resting one hand against the brick wall. His shoulders sagged just a little, tension bleeding out of him now that the car was gone.
For a fleeting moment, they were just… there. Hidden from the world. No taunting, no grandparents, no masks. Just them.
Julian let out a quiet laugh, breathless. "You're ridiculous."
Noah tilted his head, green eyes gleaming. "And yet, you followed me."
Julian opened his mouth to retort—then froze.
Because the air shifted. Heavy. Acrid. A smell he knew all too well.
Cigarette smoke.
Noah smelled it too, nose wrinkling as he glanced down the alley. Figures leaned against the brick at the far end, shadows haloed by faint orange embers. A group of guys, smoke curling around them, laughter low and rough.
Julian's stomach dropped. He didn't have to look twice. One voice, deep and lazy, cut through the haze.
"Julian Ainsworth? No way."
Julian stiffened. His chest clenched as one of the guys stepped forward, cigarette dangling between his fingers. Messy dark hair, leather jacket, smile sharp as a blade.
Ricky.
Julian's ex.
Memories crashed into him all at once: whispered promises under bleachers, nicotine-stained kisses, the constant sour taste of smoke that had finally driven Julian away. He'd broken up with Ricky because he couldn't handle watching him burn himself down one cigarette at a time.
And now here he was, smirking like nothing had changed.
"Well, well," Ricky drawled, flicking ash to the ground. "Didn't think I'd see you around here. You still look… perfect." His gaze slid past Julian to Noah, lingering, sharp. "And who's this? Upgraded already?"
Julian's throat went dry. "Ricky—"
But Noah cut in, stepping forward, eyes narrowing, smirk wiped clean. "I'm Noah. Who the hell are you?"
Ricky's grin widened. "Relax, champ. I'm an old friend of Jules."
Julian flinched at the nickname. Only Ricky had ever called him that before Noah. And the way Ricky said it—mocking, possessive—lit a spark of fury in Noah's chest.
The air thickened with more than smoke. Julian could feel Noah tense beside him, muscles coiled, ready. He could feel Ricky's eyes digging into him like claws, dragging up the past he'd buried.
He wanted to disappear. But Noah—Noah was fire.
"You smoke," Noah said flatly, glaring at Ricky's cigarette.
Ricky smirked, taking a slow drag before blowing it out deliberately toward them. "Still do. Jules never liked it, though. Always nagged me about it. Guess some things never change, huh?"
Julian's face heated. Shame, anger, guilt—it all churned in his stomach. He hated that Ricky could still make him feel cornered.
Noah stepped closer, his presence solid, shielding. "Funny," he said coolly, "because Jules seems fine with me."
Ricky's eyes narrowed. "Oh yeah? You two together now?"
The words hung heavy, smoke curling around them. Julian's heart hammered. He wanted to deny it, explain, anything—but the look in Noah's eyes stopped him. It wasn't embarrassment. It wasn't fear. It was something darker.
Possession.
And Julian's knees nearly gave out under it.