The hallway was narrow, the kind of place no one lingered unless they had to—paint flaking on the walls, lockers dented from years of careless slams, and a buzzing fluorescent light overhead that made everything look washed-out. Julian hadn't really thought before dragging Noah there; he just needed to get him away from that damn black car waiting outside the gates, the same one with the man who shadowed Noah like a hawk. Julian's hand had closed around Noah's wrist, tugging him through the crowd, and before Noah could argue, they were both pressed against the cool metal lockers in the half-deserted stretch of corridor.
They were laughing a little from the rush of it, breath mingling, both trying not to draw attention. Noah's eyes—those strange silver-green ones—were brighter than usual. His lips curved in a lazy smirk as if he were enjoying Julian's boldness.
Julian felt the heat rush to his face. God, what am I even doing? His chest tightened. Every time he looked at Noah lately, something inside him shifted, twisted. The laugh he got from Noah last night, the way his hand had felt in his—Julian was spiraling, and he knew it.
But before he could say anything, a sharp scent cut through the air. Acrid. Bitter. Cigarette smoke. Julian coughed lightly, nose wrinkling. Noah noticed it too, turning his head toward the corner of the hallway.
And that's when Julian's stomach dropped.
Leaning against the wall with a lazy stance, a cigarette dangling from his fingers, was Ricky. Dark hair flopped over his forehead, his school tie loose, shirt untucked in deliberate rebellion. His grin widened when his eyes landed on Julian.
"Well, well, if it isn't Ainsworth," Ricky drawled, his voice smooth but carrying that edge of mockery Julian remembered all too well. "Didn't think I'd see you hiding in corners. Guess old habits die hard."
Julian froze, throat dry. Not now. Not with Noah here.
Noah's gaze flicked from Julian to Ricky, then back again, the tiniest crease forming between his brows. "You know him?"
Julian swallowed, his pulse spiking. "Yeah… we—uh—we used to—"
"Date," Ricky supplied, blowing out smoke with a little smirk. "Best months of your life, weren't they, Jules?"
Julian winced. No one called him Jules. No one but Noah. Hearing it from Ricky's mouth felt wrong, filthy.
Noah's jaw ticked, but he didn't say anything yet. He just crossed his arms, watching. Waiting.
Ricky pushed off the wall, sauntering closer with his cigarette held casually at his side. His friends, two guys Julian vaguely recognized from detention-hall regulars, lingered behind him, snickering.
"Can't believe you've already moved on," Ricky continued, eyes flicking to Noah. "Pretty boy, huh? But I wonder—" his gaze slid back to Julian, slow and taunting—"does he know how good you are at playing the top?"
Julian's face went red. "Ricky, stop—"
"Oh, come on." Ricky's laugh was cruel, sharp. "You think I forgot? You think anyone could forget? You were huge, Jules. The kind of guy people don't walk away from so easily. And trust me, I've tried."
The words hit Julian like a slap. Heat crawled up his neck, not from pride but shame. This wasn't what he wanted Noah to know—at least not like this. Not ripped open, mocked, exposed.
Noah's eyes had darkened, stormy green overtaking silver. His fingers twitched at his sides like he was holding himself back.
"Sounds to me," Ricky went on, lips curling, "like you're just warming this one up. Maybe he's the kind that doesn't mind sharing, yeah?" His smirk sharpened. "Because if you're bored later, Jules… you know where to find me. We could pick up right where we left off."
Julian's heart lurched. "Ricky, enough!"
But Ricky just leaned in closer, so close the smoke stung Julian's eyes. His voice dropped, low and suggestive. "You can't tell me you don't miss it. The way you used to—"
And that's when Noah snapped.
In one swift motion, he shoved Ricky—hard. The cigarette flew from Ricky's fingers, skittering across the floor as Ricky stumbled back into the lockers with a loud clang. His friends cursed, stepping forward, but froze when Noah squared his shoulders, fury radiating off him like heat.
"Don't you ever," Noah growled, voice rough and dangerous, "talk to him like that again."
The hallway fell silent except for the hum of the lights. Noah's hand was still outstretched from the shove, his chest rising and falling fast. His eyes were locked on Ricky like he could burn a hole straight through him.
Julian's breath caught. He'd seen Noah angry before—snapping at teammates, bristling at Tyler's teasing—but this was different. This was raw, protective, violent. And it was all for him.
Ricky blinked, then barked out a laugh, though it was a little shaky now. "Damn, Jules, you've got yourself a guard dog. Didn't know you needed one." He rubbed his shoulder where he'd hit the locker, glaring. "What, can't handle your past on your own?"
Noah took a step forward, and Julian instinctively grabbed his arm. "Noah." His voice was urgent, pleading.
But Noah's gaze never left Ricky. His hands curled into fists at his sides, and Julian could feel the tension coiling in him like a spring about to snap again.
Noah didn't move when Julian's hand clamped around his arm. He was rigid, tense, a storm contained in skin. His jaw was locked tight, and the muscle beneath Julian's palm trembled from the effort of holding back.
Ricky rolled his shoulder, lips twisted into a smirk, but his eyes were wary now. "What's the matter, rich boy?" His voice mocked, though it wavered ever so slightly. "Can't handle someone reminding Jules what he used to like? You really think he's yours to keep?"
Julian felt his chest squeeze painfully. He wanted to shout, to tell Ricky to shut up, but the words caught in his throat. He couldn't get past the sheer heat radiating from Noah.
Noah's voice came low, dangerous, like the edge of a blade. "He's not yours anymore. So watch your mouth."
The air crackled between them. Ricky gave a laugh that didn't quite reach his eyes, but he refused to back down. He leaned forward, smirk widening.
"Funny," Ricky said, voice dripping with venom. "Because when he was mine, he couldn't get enough. Begged for it. Begged for me. And you know what, Jules?" He shifted his gaze back to Julian, eyes gleaming. "You were always better on top. Always. You ruined me for anyone else."
Julian's face flamed, shame twisting his stomach. He could barely breathe under the weight of those words. His hands clenched into fists at his sides, but before he could respond, Noah moved.
In an instant, Noah shoved Ricky back again, harder this time. Ricky slammed into the lockers with a metallic crash, his friends flinching. One of them muttered, "Dude, maybe chill—" but Noah's glare froze them in place.
"Shut. Up." Noah's voice was a growl, guttural and raw. He stepped closer, looming over Ricky, his eyes glinting with fury. "You talk about him like that again, and I'll make sure you regret it. Got it?"
Ricky's smirk faltered. He glanced at Noah, then at Julian, and for a flicker of a second, his bravado cracked. But then he forced a laugh, shoving his hands in his pockets like he didn't care.
"Touchy, aren't you?" Ricky sneered. "Guess money and a pretty face doesn't make you less of a dog." He leaned forward just enough to let the words sting. "But dogs get left behind, Noah. Sooner or later, Jules is gonna remember what he liked. And it wasn't you."
Julian gasped. "Ricky, stop!"
But Noah had already snapped. His fist shot forward, catching Ricky by the collar and slamming him back against the lockers so hard the metal rattled down the hallway.
"Noah!" Julian cried, tugging at his arm, but Noah didn't budge. His eyes blazed, his voice shaking with restrained violence.
"You think you know him?" Noah hissed, so close to Ricky's face their noses almost touched. "You don't know anything. He's mine now. Mine. And I don't share."
The words stunned Julian to his core. Mine. The possessiveness in Noah's tone wasn't casual, wasn't a joke. It was a claim. And Julian felt it like a brand searing into his chest.
Ricky's smirk wavered for the first time. He swallowed hard, his cockiness finally dimming under Noah's glare. "You're crazy," he muttered.
"Try me." Noah's grip tightened. His knuckles whitened against Ricky's collar. "One more word, and I'll make sure you can't open your mouth again."
Julian's panic surged. This was going too far. Ricky wasn't worth it—not this rage, not this risk. He tugged desperately at Noah's arm, pressing himself against his side.
"Noah, please," Julian whispered, voice breaking. "He's not worth it. Just—just let him go. For me."
That made Noah freeze. His chest heaved, his eyes still locked on Ricky's, but Julian felt the tiniest shift—the tension faltering, the storm flickering. Slowly, Noah loosened his grip, shoving Ricky one last time before releasing him completely.
Ricky stumbled forward, coughing, straightening his wrinkled shirt with a glare. His friends grabbed his arms, muttering something about bailing before a teacher came by. Ricky cast one last look at Julian, then Noah.
"This isn't over," Ricky spat, though his voice lacked conviction now. "You'll see."
And then he stalked off with his friends, their footsteps echoing until the hallway fell silent again.
Julian exhaled shakily, only realizing then that he'd been holding his breath. His heart pounded like a drum in his chest, and his fingers still clutched Noah's arm.
"Noah," he whispered, searching his face. "What—what was that?"
Noah turned to him, eyes still dark and stormy. For a moment, Julian swore Noah might actually kiss him right there, the tension between them so thick it was suffocating. But instead, Noah looked away, running a trembling hand through his hair.
"I couldn't stand him talking about you like that," Noah muttered, voice raw. "Like you were… like you were just—" He cut himself off, jaw tight. "I wanted to kill him."
Julian's chest ached. He should've been horrified, maybe even scared, but he wasn't. Not of Noah. Instead, something inside him burned, something dangerously close to longing.
"You scared me," Julian admitted softly, his hand still on Noah's sleeve. "Not because of what you did. But because—because I liked it."
Noah froze, turning to him slowly. Their eyes locked, and Julian's breath caught at the intensity there. The hallway was silent except for the hum of the light and their quickened breathing.
For a moment, it felt like the world had narrowed down to just them—Julian's racing heart, Noah's trembling hands, the unspoken words hanging between them like a secret too heavy to keep.
Julian swallowed hard. He didn't know what to say, what to do. All he knew was that he'd never wanted anything more than he wanted Noah in that moment.
And Noah—Noah looked at him like he already knew.